Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expanding New York City's community-based gun violence prevention program in three Brooklyn and Manhattan neighborhoods, directing $4.8 million in previously budgeted funding to organizations that work to stop shootings before they happen, as first reported by amNewYork.

The expansion, announced Tuesday, will bring additional street outreach and conflict mediation services to Bushwick, Harlem and Washington Heights/Inwood through the city's Crisis Management System (CMS). The program employs trained violence interrupters who work to defuse disputes, prevent retaliatory shootings and connect people at risk of violence with jobs, counseling and other support.

Each area will receive $1.6 million for the fiscal year through funding already allocated in the city's FY2027 budget, according to City Hall. The money will support 42 new positions across the three neighborhoods, including 30 credible messengers tasked with mediating conflicts and preventing violence, a City Hall spokesperson told amNewYork. Each area will have 10 credible messengers, a program manager, an administrative assistant, a community coordinator and an education and employment specialist.

In Bushwick, the city will expand The Wick Against Violence, operated by Southside United, building on the organization's existing work at Woodhull Hospital and Bushwick Houses. The additional resources will allow the group to increase neighborhood outreach and provide more support to residents at risk of gun violence.

In Harlem, the funding will expand Living Redemption's existing street outreach and conflict mediation efforts, including programs connecting young people and families with mentors, employment and educational opportunities.

Washington Heights and Inwood will receive a new CMS street-outreach team through Grow Up Grow Out Jr., operated by United Way. Unlike Bushwick and Harlem, where existing programs are being expanded, the northern Manhattan area has not previously had CMS street-outreach coverage, according to the administration.

The three areas were selected based on crime data, unmet service needs and other indicators, City Hall said. Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives at a Bushwick press conference on Oct. 20, 2026, to announce a $4.8 million expansion of the city's Crisis Management System in Bushwick, Harlem and Washington Heights/Inwood, a move first reported by amNewYork ahead of the announcement. How the expansion will work The Department of Youth and Community Development is processing contract amendments for all three programs. City Hall has not provided a start date, saying the rollout will depend on hiring, training and other preparations. The Bushwick expansion could begin sooner because Southside United already operates CMS programming in the neighborhood, according to a City Hall spokesperson.

“Public safety is strongest when it begins with prevention and when communities have the resources to resolve conflict, support young people, and keep their neighbors safe,” Mamdani said in a statement.

The expansion will bring the city's CMS to 49 neighborhood catchment areas, up from 46, extending its reach from 29 to 31 NYPD precincts, Mamdani said at a press conference Tuesday.

Speaking in Bushwick, Mamdani also paid tribute to Antoine Utsey , 35, a violence interrupter with the Queens Safety Coalition who was fatally shot alongside fellow anti-gun violence worker Deon Miller, 33, at a Brownsville playground last month.

Asked whether Utsey's killing raised concerns about recruiting workers for the 42 new positions, Mamdani said he remained confident the city could fill the jobs while acknowledging the dangers faced by violence interrupters.

“I have full confidence in our ability to hire up for these positions,” Mamdani said. “I also have an immense amount of gratitude because what we are talking about is not only life-saving work but also work that can be dangerous.”

CMS dates back more than a decade and relies on nonprofit organizations employing outreach workers known as credible messengers , often people with firsthand experience of violence and deep ties to the neighborhoods they serve. They work to mediate disputes, prevent retaliation after shootings and connect at-risk residents with mentoring, employment and other support services.

“Every New Yorker deserves to be safe in their neighborhood, and that safety is strongest when it is built with — not imposed on — communities,” said Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois. “This expansion gives trusted local partners the resources they need to reach people before a crisis, interrupt violence and respond to community needs with care, credibility, and urgency.”

Mamdani pledged to expand the Crisis Management System in March when he established the Office of Community Safety, overseen by Francois, to coordinate existing city programs focused on violence prevention, mental health and support for crime victims. The office was an initial step toward fulfilling his campaign promise to create a broader Department of Community Safety.