SENATOR MALCOLM A. SMITH ADVOCATES FOR NATIONAL FUNDING FOR CEASEFIRE MODEL

 
 WASHINGTON-  Senator Malcolm A. Smith is in Washington, D.C. today fighting for federal funds for violence prevention programs modeled after CeaseFire Chicago. This visit is crucial, as it is National Crime Victims Rights Week.
 
 “It was particularly important for me to come to Washington to fight for funding for a program that I truly believe in. The only way to combat crime is to tackle it head-on. We cannot do that without the proper funding. I secured USD $4 million in critical funding through a Legislative initiative in the 2009-2010 State Budget, with a re-appropriation of the original allocation in the FY 2011-2012 State Budget, for Operation SNUG. That, however, is not sufficient. Additional funding is essential to keep the program in existence," said Senator Smith.
 
A letter has been sent to members of Congress and the U.S. Senate urging their support of a line item appropriation in the federal budget for a national CeaseFire replication effort.
 
"By providing this funding, we are not only saving dollars, but more significantly, we are saving lives," Smith concluded.
 
 
 
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Malcolm A. Smith is the New York State Senate Immediate Past President Pro Tempore (2008-10). He currently serves as Secretary of the NYS Democratic Conference and ranking member on the Banking Committee.