State budget proposal includes $112K for Boys & Girls Club of Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The 2024 New York State budget proposal includes funding for organizations that work to curb violence, including $112,000 to renovate the teen center at the Boys & Girls Club in Rochester.

Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke at the club on Genesee Street on Tuesday. She said the proposed budget aims to curb violence by investing in organizations that give young people a safe place, modifying bail reform laws, supporting law enforcement, and supporting district attorneys.

Mayor Malik Evans and State Sen. Jeremy Cooney spoke about how the funding could help to address violence in Rochester. They spoke about the increase in gun violence during the pandemic, with shootings surging in 2020 compared to the previous year and increasing again in 2021, according to RPD Open Data Portal. The number of shootings fell in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Hochul unveiled her budget proposal in early February and the budget deadline is April 1. The proposed budget includes $100 million for projects to reduce gun violence, including adding more crime analysis centers.