Laberge Group is pleased to have played a critical role in assisting the Village of Hempstead Police Department (HPD) in securing $1 million in grant funding through the U.S. Dept. of Justice (USDOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) program.

The Village has experienced a marked increase in drug and gang activity in recent years. Since 2015, the HPD has responded to more than 1,500 reports of violent crimes, nearly 300 of which involved firearms. In response, Mayor Don Ryan and Village Officials have vowed a commitment to make every effort to confront these activities head-on and use every resource available to make Hempstead a safer and healthier community for all.

Mayor Ryan explained the impact this funding will have on the HPD’s ability to serve the community. According to the Mayor, “these funds will be used to reduce crime and ultimately create a safer and better environment for all residents in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead.  With the help of our great police force, Hempstead will continue to be a great place to live, play, and work.”

Working with law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, HPD will be able to significantly expand their community based policing efforts towards combating gang and drug related violent crime. In addition to providing the Village with new tools to address criminal activity, this funding will help expand a task force with a primary goal of preventing, deterring, and disrupting the opportunity for criminal behavior.

Chief of Police, Paul Johnson, elaborated on the significance of this funding, explaining that “as with any other police department across the country, our primary responsibility is to serve and protect.  As the recipients of this award, it will make it much easier to accomplish this goal and ultimately fulfilling our mission statement.”

Furthermore, the efforts of Hempstead Police Department resulting from this grant funding will directly align with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Guardian Initiative and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), furthering the mission to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws across the country.