More money is on its way from Albany to help combat violence on the streets of Buffalo. Operation SNUG has been re-launched, according to State Senator Tim Kennedy. The initiative, which is guns spelled backward, directs state resources to anti-violence groups in the inner city.
Kennedy says $366,400 has been awarded to Back to Basics Outreach Ministries, a church that works with groups like the Buffalo Peacemakers to fight crime in high-risk neighborhoods. supported by the group known as the Buffalo Peacemakers
"The way these programs operate is that they utilize grassroots neighborhood outreach, public awareness campaigns and community mobilization to engage youth, alter their mindset, and transform local norms. It's very much a hands-on street level approach to prevent violence," Kennedy says.
Operation SNUG started in eight New York cities 2009, but lost its funding and shut down most of its operations, despite some initial success when it was first launched. Kennedy says the numbers show a marked decline in street violence in the zip codes where the program was implemented.
