The Gun Involved Violence Elimination, or GIVE Initiative provides state funding through the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime, personnel, as well as focused training and technical assistance.
The Ithaca Police Department had initially been chosen to receive a chunk of the funds totaling over $383,000, but decided not to accept it due to severe staffing shortages. The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office then worked with the Division of Criminal Justice Services to get the funding diverted to the Sheriff’s Office in order to support Ithaca Police in crime-fighting efforts.
In a statement, Sheriff Derek Osborne said that working together on this issue will hopefully go a long way in making the community safer for everyone.
