Thursday, 4:30 PM
$15 million anticrime initiative unveiled as summer approaches
By Andrea Estes and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
Legislative leaders joined Governor Deval Patrick today to unveil a $15 million statewide anticrime initiative that includes money to help get 70 new police officers on Boston streets by July 1.
"With summer school vacation just around the corner, communities struggling with gang and gun violence must have the resources they need to keep their streets safe," Patrick said in a statement. "We want our kids to make positive choices in life, and our job, not just as government officials but as adults, is to create safe spaces for them to exercise those good choices."
Patrick introduced the plan at an afternoon press conference with Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. The legislation, which is not a part of the budget currently under debate, will also fund programs designed to curb youth violence and prevent crime.
The initiative includes $11 million in community safety grants and $4 million for the hiring and training of new police officers.
Boston will receive at least $1.4 million to help hire new police officers, an amount that officials said could increase. The city plans to hire officers from other departments so they won't have to go through the police academy. In April, Patrick pledged $900,000 to accelerate the hiring of new police officers in Boston, money that will be supplemented by the funding announced today.
The grants will be awarded to communities based on violent crime and property rates; the percentage of the population between 15 and 19; and the number of young homicide victims. The money will be used to fund surveillance, an increase in patrols of crime hot spots, youth outreach programs, tutoring, drug treatment, job training, and more.
"The senseless violence that is threatening many of our neighborhoods is alarming," Murray said in a statement. The "grant program not only provides valuable funding for outreach programs and community policing initiatives, it also signals our willingness to partner with cities and towns to battle a rising tide of violence."
The initiative came the same day as the first meeting of Patrick's statewide anticrime council.
