Gov. Maura Healey and local leaders highlight Project Safe Neighborhoods after Brockton shooting

Gov. Maura Healey met with state and local law enforcement leaders in Brockton to discuss Project Safe Neighborhoods and other public-safety efforts after a handgun murder occurred about one block from City Hall, Mayor Robert Sullivan said.

The meeting brought together state police, local chiefs and district attorneys to review enforcement and prevention work and to discuss strengthening partnerships. "One shooting, one death is too many in this state," Gov. Maura Healey said, urging continued coordination between state and local agencies.

Project Safe Neighborhoods, or PSN, is a state-funded initiative managed by the Office of Grants and Research that supports joint state-local operations targeting gang activity, firearm violations, drug distribution and human trafficking. Healey said new data show results from recent investments: in the first six months of the year PSN-focused operations led to nearly 500 arrests, removal of 54 illegal guns, seizure of about 30 kilograms of narcotics and recovery of more than $240,000 in suspected illicit proceeds. Since 2024, Healey said, the program has contributed to more than 1,000 arrests or summonses, seizure of 130 illegal firearms, confiscation of about 108 kilograms of narcotics and recovery of over $600,000 in suspected drug proceeds.

"This program also funds awards to district attorney's offices to support prosecutions of violent crime, as well as the prevention programming that is out there," Healey said, adding that the administration will continue to support the funding. She identified partnerships and data-driven enforcement as central to the effort: programs that pair specialized state police units with local departments allow coordinated operations and shared prosecutions, Healey said.

Colonel Jeff Noble of the Massachusetts State Police said trust and local engagement are necessary complements to enforcement. "That trust is what makes progress possible," Noble said, describing a mix of mentoring, trauma-informed responses and data-driven operations that aim to remove illegal weapons and narcotics and build cases for prosecutors.

Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez, who hosted the roundtable, credited PSN with concrete results on the ground. "Every illegal firearm we take off the street, every ounce of drugs we take off the street is potentially a life saved," Perez said, and said departments would build on PSN and other programs.

Mayor Robert Sullivan, who opened the event and noted the city recently held a soft opening of a new $150,000,000 public-safety building that will free up classroom space at Brockton High School, said the visit followed a fatal shooting the previous day. Sullivan recounted that he was at a street light with his 15-year-old daughter when they heard the shooting; he described the homicide as "appalling" and "tragic."

Speakers at the meeting also named juvenile violence, mental health and substance use as priorities for prevention and intervention. Healey urged continued investment in prevention programs and said more recruits are needed for law enforcement ranks, calling policing "a great and honorable profession." The governor invited Undersecretary Gina Kwan and other operations staff to provide more detail on grants and program specifics during the discussion.

No formal votes or ordinance actions were taken at the meeting; officials described it as a convening to review enforcement results, share best practices and plan ongoing collaboration. Attendees included executives from the Office of Grants and Research, state police and local district attorneys; Healey said the administration will work with legislative partners and local leaders to sustain PSN funding and related supports.