Cuomo Touts $18.5M To Combat Gang Recruitment On Long Island
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York state will spend $18.5 million on efforts to disrupt gang recruitment on Long Island.
The money is included in the state's new $168.3 billion budget, passed by lawmakers late last month.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo highlighted the funds during a trip to Suffolk County on Wednesday.
The money will support anti-gang initiatives by local law enforcement, as well as after-school programs and youth job training intended to discourage teens from joining a gang.
More: Suffolk County's New District Attorney Forms Special Unit To Combat Gangs
The Salvadoran MS-13 street gang has been blamed for 25 killings on Long Island in the past two years.
Cuomo has already deployed extra state troopers to Long Island to work with local and federal law enforcement and he's also announced plans to have troopers assigned to some schools.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)