BUSHWICK— The City will invest $1.6 million to expand Bushwick's gun violence prevention program, the Wick Against Violence.
The Wick Against Violence, a community-based program operated by Southside United, works to prevent shootings by mediating disputes and connecting people with jobs, education and other resources.
The investment builds on the organization's existing work at Woodhull Hospital and Bushwick Houses, giving outreach workers more resources to reach residents across the neighborhood.
The program relies on trained workers known as credible messengers, who use their relationships and firsthand knowledge of the community to intervene in conflicts before they turn violent.
They also support residents after shootings and work to prevent retaliation.
Bushwick's 83rd Precinct recorded seven shooting incidents that left nine people injured or shot by early June 2025, according to news reports.
"Public safety is about trust, which must be built in close partnership with our communities," Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said.
Williams helped bring the City's Crisis Management System to New York more than a decade ago.
The system, which operates in 46 neighborhood service areas, brings together community organizations that work to reduce gun violence through outreach.
The City selected Bushwick and two other neighborhoods, Harlem and Washington Heights/Inwood, for the expansion based on crime data, unmet service needs and other indicators.
Each neighborhood will receive $1.6 million.
In Harlem, the funding will expand Living Redemption's outreach and conflict mediation.
In Washington Heights/Inwood, the City will establish a new outreach team through Grow Up Grow Out Jr., operated by United Way.
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