Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the city will be expanding the Cure Violence initiative.

Cure Violence will expand to four additional precincts in New York City.

The four precincts will be the 43rd Precinct in the Soundview section of the Bronx, the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens, the 71st Precinct in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and the 69th Precinct in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

 

With the addition of those four sites, Cure Violence would cover 20 precincts with the high number of gun violence.

The city will increase crisis management system budget by $10 million. Funding will help add staffing and create new sites.

The city will also support community organizers and credible messengers who break cycles of violence in their neighborhoods. The mayor says there is already a three-fold increase from 2014.

The mayor also talked about more COVID-19 testing for hardest-hit communities.

He says two mobile testing trucks started work Tuesday at NCYHA’s Monroe Houses in Soundview.

More testing sites have also been added to Housing Works, BronxCare, Morris Heights Health Center, Boriekn Neighborhood Health Center, Damian Family Care Centers and VIP Community Services.

New York City also now offers testing kits to all hospitals and hospital systems. The city says it will immediately be sending 3,000 made-in-NYC test kits to Staten Island hospitals.