Governor Hochul also directed 15 state landmarks to be illuminated purple tonight in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

Using funding secured by Governor Hochul in the FY 2025 Budget, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) will administer $23 million in funding to district attorneys, sheriffs’ offices, municipal police departments, probation departments and community-based providers that serve victims and survivors of domestic violence in 20 counties to implement the Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence initiative (STRIVE). The following counties participating in the initiative reported the largest volume and rate of domestic and intimate partner violence: Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Cortland, Dutchess, Erie, Fulton, Genesee, Jefferson, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Suffolk, and Westchester counties.

DCJS will distribute $5 million to district attorneys’ offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island to allow for the implementation of early case enhancement strategies, including the Queens District Attorney’s Proact-DV program to the other four boroughs. The program focuses on the importance of collecting evidence, improving collaboration between police and prosecutors, and connecting survivors with support and services as quickly as possible after a crime has been reported, regardless of whether an arrest has been made. This coordinated, early intervention aims to increase victim safety, strengthen the prosecution of domestic violence cases, and ensure offender accountability.

STRIVE is modeled after the State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, also administered by DCJS, which requires partners in each county to develop a comprehensive plan using one or more evidence-based strategies to reduce shootings and save lives. Plans developed by counties participating in STRIVE must use evidence-based strategies and ensure that community members and programs that serve victims and survivors are actively involved in strategy selection and implementation. One or more of the following strategies must be used: domestic violence high-risk team model, lethality assessment program, or intimate partner violence intervention.

Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “New York has made significant progress in the fight against gun violence, thanks to Governor Hochul’s commitment to providing our local law enforcement and community-based partners significant funding and support, and securing significant investments for technology and personnel so crime data, information and intelligence can be shared statewide. STRIVE will use the same framework to reduce intimate partner and domestic violence and improve safety for victims and survivors.”

Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Executive Director Kelli Owens said, “This is a significant amount of money that will bring a coordinated response to domestic violence to local communities throughout New York State. New York recognizes that all the systems a survivor encounters in their journey to find safety must be aligned and knowledgeable about the dynamic of this type of violence. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for your continued leadership to break down barriers for survivors in a way that honors New York’s commitment to survivor-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive efforts.”

Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said, “I have dedicated my career to improving how different systems – legal, social services, health care, among others – respond to gender-based and intimate partner violence, and to expanding access to support and services so victims and survivors can reclaim their lives. I thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to victims’ rights and our State and local partners for their work, which will make a difference in the lives of so many New Yorkers.”

Counties participating in STRIVE also will receive training and technical assistance from the State and national experts to implement their county plans and chosen strategy or strategies; and access crime analysis, intelligence development and investigative support from the State’s network of 11 Crime Analysis Centers to identify perpetrators and build effective cases for prosecution. DCJS will receive up to $7 million for that work and the funding will also support efforts to improve the ways in which state agencies respond to intimate partner and domestic violence, including:

• A multiagency review led by DCJS, in coordination with OPDV, to modernize the State’s current, paper-based Domestic Incident Report (DIR), and State DIR repository for law enforcement. Police officers are required to complete this report whenever they respond to a domestic call, regardless of whether an arrest is made.
• A summit sponsored by DCJS and OPDV later this month to educate law enforcement, attorneys, social services staff, gender-based violence services providers and other local and state professionals about tools to assess danger in intimate partner and domestic violence cases. OPDV also works with DCJS and other state agencies to inform local practices through its Domestic Violence Regional Councils, Fatality Reviews and Survivor Listening Sessions.

Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness month, I am proud to join Governor Kathy Hochul's announcement of this landmark $35 million in funding to bolster domestic violence and intimate partner violence prevention programming across New York. This investment will help our community based local partners statewide as well as our justice system to continue improving access to trauma informed and culturally sensitive services for survivors. We must continue to prioritize initiatives that protect victims of domestic violence. This investment reflects our collective commitment to creating new safety and support systems for survivors.”

Speaker Carl Heastie said, “My colleagues and I are committed to investing in our community response teams so they can provide effective, trauma-informed care to victims of domestic violence. This funding will ensure our state partners have the resources needed to support survivors and hold those responsible for the violence accountable for their actions. It is imperative that we do all we can to reduce domestic violence across New York and work towards a better future for survivors.”

State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “Domestic violence is a pervasive issue and survivors need and deserve the support systems and resources to not only recover from abuse, but find safety and thrive. I am proud to work with Governor Hochul to secure this historic funding to safeguard survivors and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to address this across New York State.”

Assemblymember Aileen Gunther said, “No one should have to live in fear of domestic violence, and protecting women from abuse is one of my top priorities. This action by the Governor will improve education, prevention and support for survivors of domestic violence. This funding will help create a more holistic and community-centered approach to combating domestic violence, as well as holding abusers accountable. I applaud the Governor for making these funds available and I look forward to seeing their positive impacts on our community.”

Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi said, “I am deeply grateful for the leadership of Governor Hochul, Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Social Services Chair Davila and all of my colleagues for securing these essential resources to assist survivors of domestic violence. This urgent and meaningful investment will make a real, and immediate difference by strengthening District Attorneys' abilities to hold perpetrators accountable, and provide sustained, trauma-informed, and culturally competent care that survivors need at their most critical junctures.”

Assemblymember Taylor Darling said, “As Chair of the Subcommittee on Foster Care, I recognize that domestic violence devastates families, particularly affecting foster youth, who often bear the brunt of this trauma. Many children in New York’s foster care system have been removed from unsafe homes where domestic violence, untreated trauma and other risk factors were present, leaving deep scars that impact their development and future. These children, the silent victims, carry the emotional and physical toll long after they have entered foster care. Governor Hochul’s $35 million investment to enhance the public safety response to domestic violence is a critical lifeline for these children. With trauma-informed, culturally responsive strategies, this initiative will provide the support foster youth need to heal, while holding offenders accountable and reducing the cycle of violence. I commend the Governor for prioritizing this issue and bringing hope to so many families and children in need. Together, we can create a safer future for all our youth.”

Assemblymember Karen McMahon said, “Domestic violence is a serious, often hidden and growing epidemic in our State and across the country. Nearly 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner every minute in the United States - over 10 million people each year. As the Chair of the Assembly Task Force on Women's Issues, I am encouraged by this significant investment in improving the public safety response to domestic violence, and supporting survivors. We must continue to protect and assist those who have experienced domestic violence, and work to reduce its occurrence throughout NYS. This funding will go a long way towards that effort.”

Councilmember Farah N. Louis said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to addressing intimate partner abuse and domestic violence through this record $35.6 million investment is a significant step forward in ensuring the safety of survivors across New York State. By prioritizing survivor-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices, we are reinforcing our dedication to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities. This funding will enable district attorneys, law enforcement and service providers to collaborate and hold individuals who harm accountable, while supporting survivors as they heal. I will continue fighting for more funding and resources for our city to ensure that every survivor has access to the services they need for a safe and stable future.”