Editorial: Small shots to curb gun violence

Any reasonable attempt to reduce crime is to be praised, so we applaud an initiative by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to curb gun violence. But our clapping is muted.

The program is small, spreading $2 million among an awful lot of communities, and feels a bit like a pile of goody bags for politicians from those places. Albany, Schenectady, Newburgh, Brownsville, the Bronx and Manhattan will split $1 million to create "community-specific, anti-violence strategies." An advertising campaign will focus on reducing gun violence, as well as a toll-free, gun-tip line. In addition, "violence interrupters," sometimes ex-offenders with neighborhood credibility, are hired to try to ease disputes. Managers of these programs are required to submit their results. The state must follow the money, and make sure the locals did what they were supposed to with it.