Justice Department designates Brooklyn for program to reduce domestic violence

September 25, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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BOROUGHWIDE — The U.S. Justice Department designated Brooklyn as one of 78 jurisdictions in the country for a partnership in reducing domestic violence involving guns. The borough is part of an initial set of communities that Attorney General Merrick B. Garland approved across 47 states, territories and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. The Justice Department, through its United States Attorney’s Offices (USAOs) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions, will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate-partner gun violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms.

Brooklyn is the designated jurisdiction within the U.S. Attorney’s Office/Eastern District of New York. This designation represents the partnership and coordination between the Department and the local jurisdiction to ensure federal resources are being applied effectively to address intimate partner gun violence. This initiative will support the USAO here with its federal and state law enforcement partners and will also bolster its partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, such as The Salvation Army and Restore NYC, and state agencies.

For example, the New York State Office of Victim Services and the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic & Gender-Based Violence, which operates the New York City Family Justice Centers, will provide needed support to victims.

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