Mass. awards $700K grant to law enforcement agencies to divert youth from gangs

The state police will use the funding toward community outreach programs and other programming designed to reduce youth involvement in gang activity

February 02, 2024 05:15 PM

Massachusetts police cruiser outside MGM Springfield in February 2023. (Nicole Simmons / MassLive, File)

By Namu Sampath
masslive.com

BOSTON — About $700,000 was recently given by the state to a number of law enforcement agencies in Western Massachusetts to reduce youth participation in gangs.

The Hampden and Northwestern district attorneys’ offices and the Massachusetts State Police received the funding, which the state hopes will support statewide strategies for violence prevention and will improve quality of life, especially for the youth, a statement from the commonwealth’s Office of Grants and Research said.

The funding is a part of the state’s Project Safe Neighborhood Program, a new grant program that was introduced in the state’s fiscal 2024 budget.

District attorneys’ offices will dedicate at least a quarter of the funding to prevention, intervention, and/or diversion programming for youths, the statement said. The state police will use the funding toward community outreach programs and other programming designed to reduce youth involvement in gang activity.

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