E-Mail
Print
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded the grant that totals more than $962,000. The funding, administered through the DOJ's new Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program, will pay for efforts to improve safety and security for the children and families who live, work, and go to school in the Promise Neighborhood, located in Buffalo;s 14215 ZIP Code, according to the organization.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Westminster Community Charter School, Promise Neighborhood director David Chamberlain says the money will pay for several programs.
"Some of those include additional police patrols for crime hot spots in the Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, additional equipment, such as cameras and radios that'll help monitor crime," Chamberlain said.Additionally, the funding will pay for a Youth Outreach Program to build long-term mentoring relationships with troubled youths, provide "healthy" alternatives to violent lifestyles, meet with students and families and provide conflict resolution, mediation, and community organizing, Chamberlain said.
The funding will also provide for a full time case worker to help residents with matters such as employment transition, education, family preservation, housing and community- development services, and a research partnership with the University at Buffalo Regional Institute to more closely examine the drivers of crime in the neighborhood and develop data-driven solutions, the organization said.
Founded in 2010, Buffalo Promise Neighborhood is a multi-stakeholder nonprofit organization that seeks to improve performance at three schools on the city's northeast side -- Bennett High School, Highgate Heights, and Westminster Community Charter School -- and transform the surrounding community by providing a continuum of solutions to children and families, including neighborhood resources, streamlining family services, and improving educational supports, the organization said.