LYNN – The city of Lynn and North Shore Community College (NSCC) have received state funding in an effort to combat youth gang violence in the area.
The funding takes place through the Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative (CSI) Grant Program. Shannon was a Massachusetts state senator from 1991 until his death in 2005. While the city of Lynn received a Shannon CSI award as a designated site, NSCC received a separate award of $42,000 to be Lynn’s Local Action Research Partner (LARP), marking the 11th year that NSCC will serve as a LARP for the city.
“Preventing violence among young people is critical to ensuring the future well-being of our youth and the safety of our communities,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “This work requires collaboration among law enforcement, state and local officials, youth-serving nonprofits, and research partners to help ensure funds have the greatest positive impact. The partnerships built through the Shannon Community Safety Initiative are among the strongest tools we have to prevent youth and gang-related violence in Massachusetts.”
The grant will help NSCC assist Lynn in its efforts to combat gang violence, through strategic, analytic, technical, and research support, according to a NSCC press release. It will also aid various other groups committed to addressing gang violence within Lynn, such as the Lynn Police Department, Lynn Youth Street Outreach Agency, and LifeScene.
NSCC has received nearly $400,000 in funding since 2015. Some of its key accomplishments include crime data analysis for Lynn youth aged 14-24, the development of three comprehensive assessment reports, close work with partners and other state agencies to develop an individual risk assessment tool and holding bi-annual forums on criminal justice.
“The Shannon Grant aligns well with the mission of the community college. It has been a beneficial grant to the college as well as to our program,” said NSCC Criminal Justice Professor and LARP co-Manager Ann Koshivas.
