DA Cacace Lauds Reduction in Gun Violence in Mount Vernon

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace is proud to join Governor Kathy Hochul in celebrating a significant reduction in gun violence across the State of New York, including in Westchester County’s City of Mount Vernon. Both DA Cacace and Gov. Hochul credit the nationally recognized Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative for contributing to this life-saving reduction in gun violence.

This week, Gov. Hochul announced a 14% drop in shooting incidents, along with a 22% reduction in the number of people shot, across the 28 municipalities participating in GIVE for the first eight months of 2025 as compared to the same period in 2024. The cities participating in GIVE not only include Mount Vernon but also Yonkers, which has separately seen a substantial decline in gun violence in the recent past. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is also a recipient of funding through New York’s GIVE grant.
 
DA Cacace said: “Any reduction in gun violence saves lives. Our office remains dedicated to making our neighborhoods safer from the scourge of gun crime, utilizing every resource available to reach that goal. The GIVE grant is an excellent example of one of those resources, providing valuable funding to help reduce shootings and gun-related crime, including homicides. We thank Governor Hochul for ensuring that initiatives like GIVE are available to aid in protecting our most vulnerable communities.”
 
The nationally recognized Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative provides state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime and personnel, and provides comprehensive, focused training and technical assistance to those agencies. GIVE is a key component of New York State's comprehensive plan to reduce shootings and firearm-related violent crime in communities outside of New York City.
 
To learn more about the GIVE initiative, visit https://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/ops/gunviolencereduction/index.htm.

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