New Bedford receives 87 percent hike to combat gang violence

Feb. 06--NEW BEDFORD -- The city is receiving $618,845 this fiscal year to fight gang violence, a walloping 87 percent increase over the previous year's grant.

New Bedford's grant is the fourth highest in the state and places the city behind Boston ($1,559,014.18), Springfield ($786,025.70) and Worcester ($656,525.14), according to a news release from State Sen. Mark Montigny's office. Last year, New Bedford received a Shannon Community Safety Initiative totaling $330,654.

Fall River received $420,636 this year and last year they received $381,000. Brockton received $544,527.37 this year and last year they received $290,000.

The biggest reason for the hike in New Bedford's grant was the addition of $2 million across-the-board in Shannon grant funding, raising the total amount to be dispersed at $8 million, said Audra Riding, a spokeswoman for Montigny. In fiscal year 2018, the total funding was $6 million.

"Fostering programs to encourage youth to reject gang violence and its atrocious effects will create a safe community and more prosperous, bright futures for our young people," said Montigny, D-New Bedford. "I will continue my zealous advocacy in the Senate to ensure the continued success of this program for the benefit of New Bedford."

This year's award reverses a downward trend in the amounts New Bedford has received in its Shannon grants. In fiscal year 2018, New Bedford received $330,654 or a cut of $51,414 and in fiscal year 2017 the city received $382,068 or a cut of slightly more than $114,000 from its fiscal year 2016 grant.

Following discussions with New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro, Montigny appealed to the Executive Office of Public Safety for increased support for this fiscal year for New Bedford, the senator's office said.

Since 2006, the state Legislature has appropriated funds to support the Massachusetts Shannon Community Safety Initiative in an effort to reduce gang violence across the state, the news release said. The funds are used to support a variety of anti-gang programs, including outreach, mentoring and educational opportunities.

Cordeiro and other officers from the New Bedford Police Department will receive the grant award on Monday at an awards ceremony in the State House, according to Riding.

"It's a big award. We're grateful and happy they feel New Bedford has been managing the grant very well," Cordeiro said. "It's going to do a lot of good."

Portions of the grant will be used to fund an assistant district attorney (Shannon grant prosecutor) who prosecutes gun and other gang-related cases out of New Bedford; an inmate reentry program administrated by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson; crime suppression efforts by the NBPD's Gang Unit; and "the lion's share" of the grant will go to the NBPD's community outreach program, according to Cordeiro.

The cuts have forced the chief to slowly chisel away "evenly" at existing programs, he said.

The chief said the department intends to hire gang outreach workers for the city's North End, where police have seen "a small uptick" in gang activity.

"We're really excited about it," he said of the grant. "We're optimistic we will show the fruits of our labors in about a year."

Follow Curt Brown on Twitter @CurtBrown_SCT.

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