$3M In NJ Budget Will Fuel Gun Violence Reduction Programs

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A $3 million earmark in the latest state budget will help to fuel several gun violence reduction programs in New Jersey, lawmakers say.

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Assemblyman Mike Venezia (NJ-34) recently joined with faculty members to announce $3 million in state funding via the 2026 state budget to support the Newark Public Safety Collaborative and the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers.

The money will expand evidence-based violence prevention strategies in Newark, and help scale the model to other large cities in New Jersey, including Paterson, Camden, Trenton and Atlantic City.

According to lawmakers, the funding will advance several initiatives, including the creation of a Gun Violence Research Training Program, partnerships with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, the Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, and the New Jersey State Police, and the expansion of school collaborations and hospital-based violence intervention programs.

Resources will also be directed toward research to identify effective strategies, recruitment of “Gun Violence Prevention Scholars,” outreach training for community workers, and firearm safety measures such as storage locker initiatives.

In addition, law enforcement will receive training under Project Safeguard to reduce suicides and domestic violence incidents, lawmakers said.

“This investment is about protecting families and strengthening neighborhoods,” Venezia said.

“By expanding Rutgers’ groundbreaking work, we can give communities the tools and support they need to stop gun violence before it starts and build a safer future for our cities,” Venezia added.

• See Related: Violent Crime Dropped In New Jersey Last Year, Latest FBI Data Shows
• See Related: 2 Largest Cities In NJ Are Seeing Big Drops In Murders, Shootings

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