14-05-2025
Falls police arrest two during Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) operation
Falls police, with assistance from Niagara County Sheriff's Office deputies and Niagara County Probation officers, disrupted activity at a pair of city drug houses during an operation conducted last week as part of New York State's GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) initiative.
In addition to enhanced patrols at 'drug hot spots' in the city, the task force of officers and deputies also executed a pair of search warrants in the 500 block of 20th Street and the 1000 block of 19th Street.
Narcotics and Intelligence Division detectives said their targeted suspect was not at 545 20th St. when they came knocking on Thursday. However, investigators said they did not leave empty-handed after seizing a quantity of what was described as ammunition, quantities of suspected cocaine and suspected fentanyl, along with drug paraphernalia.
Detectives said half a dozen people were located inside the home, which had reportedly been the subject of numerous neighborhood complaints. Neighbors said it was a frequent site for large gatherings and that they had observed 'drug activity and illegal gambling' outside the residence.
Police said they arrested Claude Wilson, 47, of the Falls, on an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a Niagara Falls City Court judge.
Also arrested on 19th Street was Dominique Hilson, 30, of the Falls. A pair of sheriff's investigators spotted Hilson standing across 20th Street, watching the activity and confirmed that she was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Erie County.
Hilson was taken into custody without incident.
Officers and deputies also did not did not get their targeted suspect at 1015 19th St. Investigators said that property, which has previously been condemned, has also been the subject of numerous neighborhood complaints regarding drug activity.
Investigators said they seized drug paraphernalia and ammunition from that location.
The GIVE initiative represents a million-dollar-plus investment in reducing gun violence in the Falls. The city has received a 2024-25 grant allocation of $1,228,947 as part of a more than $36 million state-wide allocation for a program.
GIVE has been credited with producing a two-year drop in incidents of gun violence, including a 37% reduction in shooting incidents in the state in 2024, compared to a five-year average. State officials have also said that the grant funding has led to a record number of illegal firearms seizures.
The 2024-25 GIVE funding for Falls police represents a slight decrease from the $1.24 million contained in the 2023-24 grant. That money was part of a $2.18 million grant to Niagara County law enforcement agencies that included the Niagara County District Attorney's Office, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office and Niagara County Probation.
Give operations rely heavily on data-driven crime responses, utilizing information compiled and analyzed by the Niagara Intelligence & Crime Analysis Center (NICAC). Falls police have said that data analysis allows them to better patrol the Cataract City streets by allowing them to identify what they describe as crime 'Hot Spots.'
The grant also fully funds the work of a Falls Criminal Investigation Division (CID) detective who works solely on non-fatal shooting cases.
GIVE also funds a multi-faceted community outreach program.
Falls Police Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, who previously, in his role as a police captain, supervised the NFPD GIVE initiative, has described it as 'a multi-agency, evidence-based, enforcement program.'
The New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which funds GIVE, describes it as 'a key component of New York state's shooting and homicide reduction strategy.' The program, now in its 11th year, focuses on four core elements, which DCJS says are people, places, alignment and engagement.
GIVE jurisdictions are required to use a policing framework known as Problem-Oriented Policing (POP). DCJS says the key components of POP are hotspots policing, focused deterrence, street outreach, and a concept called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED).
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design looks at how the design of buildings, landscaping and outdoor environments can either encourage or discourage crime.
In a description of the program, DCJS said GIVE 'is directed at preventative and enforcement efforts on top offenders who have been identified as being responsible for most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults.' The program is designed to focus on 'preventative and enforcement efforts on the geographic locations (hot spots) where crime data and analysis demonstrate that most shootings and homicides or aggravated assaults occur.'
Funding is provided to 28 police departments, district attorney's offices, probation departments and sheriff's offices in the 21 counties outside of New York City that have been hit the hardest by gun violence and violent crime. The funding for 2024-25 is the highest level in the program's history.
