Niagara Falls to receive $37K in federal crime fighting funds

Sep. 30—Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26), along with Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino and Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown, announced that Buffalo and Niagara Falls have been awarded nearly $300,000 in combined federal funding to be used toward public safety and crime prevention measures.

The grants are provided through the U.S. Department of Justice Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The City of Buffalo will receive $269,861 and the City of Niagara Falls was awarded $36,827.

"These awards provide valuable resources to help expand and enhance local programs and initiatives that keep people and neighborhoods safe," Higgins said.

The grant provides cities with the flexibility to direct the funding in a way that best meets the public safety needs of the community. In 2022, the JAG areas of emphasis are: combatting hate crime, promoting public trust between communities and criminal justice agencies, reducing violent crime, community violence intervention (CVI), addressing COVID-19, and crime analysis and investigation. Last year, the Niagara Falls Police Department received a JAG grant which funded two civilian community-police liaison positions and the purchase of handheld radios.

"We appreciate this additional funding to assist our city police department in its continuing service to our community," Restaino said.

Added Brown, "Keeping our community safe remains one of my top priorities and the JAG program is one of the most useful tools the Buffalo Police Department has to fight and prevent crime and implement other necessary criminal justice reform and additional policing support. I thank Congressman Brian Higgins for helping to secure these funds that will provide us with an opportunity to further diversify our policing efforts to better serve our neighborhoods."