New Bedford Shannon (NBS)—a partnership between the New Bedford Police Department and United Way of Greater New Bedford—has been awarded $1,097,167 to continue its multi-pronged approach to address the community’s gang and youth violence issues using five strategy areas: social, intervention, support, opportunity, and provision. The grant award has grown over the years to allow services to increase – this year’s announcement increased from the 2021 award of $824,879.
In a press conference held in Springfield earlier this week, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced $11.2 million to be awarded across the state through the 2022 Senator Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative grant. Since 2006, the Massachusetts Legislature has appropriated funds to support the Shannon Community Safety Initiative, which supports collaborative solutions to address and respond to youth violence in communities throughout the Commonwealth. Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) helped create the initial round of program funding and has consistently advocated for additional resources for New Bedford.
“Through the great work at United Way and the New Bedford Police Department, this program will continue to provide our youth with positive interventions and resources to help them pursue a bright and prosperous future,” said Senator Mark Montigny, who earlier this year championed Senate budget amendments to infuse an additional $1 million into this year’s Shannon grant program. “I commend the outstanding work led by Renee Ledbetter and her team at United Way as well as Chief Oliveira’s commitment to this program. We will continue to support these funds in the legislature.”
“I'm very pleased that we have once again received this funding which is so critical to our department and City. Right now, we are heading in the right direction due, in no small part, to the resources which the Shannon grant has made available to us.,” said New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira. “Although we've made great strides, now is not the time for us to take our foot off the gas. Instead, it is essential that we press forward with our many initiatives aimed at keeping violent crime low and opportunities for our youth high. The brilliance of the Shannon grant lies in its main component; collaboration. I look forward to continuing with all of our various community partners in collectively helping to keep neighborhoods safe.”
Since 2018, United Way of Greater New Bedford has overseen the NBS’s Outreach/Case Worker Services. The NBS team conducts daily street outreach in neighborhoods in New Bedford and responds to critical incidences involving youth. NBS focuses on identifying New Bedford youth ages 10 -24 at elevated risk for joining gangs, or those individuals at the early stages of gang involvement identified by local schools, courts, law enforcement and many others. This component provides risk assessment, goal setting, and wrap around supports for each youth enrolled in the program.
“The increase we’ve received for New Bedford Shannon is a testament to the work being done by our dedicated team and Shannon partners,” said Pam Cruz, United Way’s VP of Special Initiatives. “We are pleased that our work is being recognized on the state level and with the increase in funding, we will be able to reach more youth in New Bedford to prevent and reduce youth gang violence.”
In 2021 alone, over 300 youth received services from the NBS team. 82 participants left gangs or gang activity, 14 completed a job training program, 63 obtained employment, and 9 pursued college or post-secondary training.
The NBS Outreach/Case Worker team, led by Program Director Renee Ledbetter, spends countless hours working with youth to ensure they stay on a positive path. New Bedford Shannon is one of 15 sites to receive a Shannon grant. Since the Baker-Polito Administation has taken office, more than $62 million has been awarded through the Shannon Community Safety Initiative.
Click here to learn more about New Bedford Shannon.