Albany County committee reviews $92,000 DCJS grant to address intimate partner violence

The Albany County Public Safety Committee on June 26 considered an agreement with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) that would bring $92,000 to the county to support efforts to reduce intimate partner violence.

Probation Director Bill Connors told the committee the award would fund a half-time probation officer position and technology purchases to assist in monitoring offenders. “This grant is 100% reimbursed from DCJS,” Connors said, and he described the work as a collaborative effort with local partners.

Connors identified partners in the proposal as the Albany Police Department, Project Equinox and the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. He said the funding would be used for staffing integration and technology to support monitoring and victim safety.

A committee member asked whether the grant covered increases in salaries across departments and whether the funding was only for one year. “This is just 1 year. Right?” the member asked. Connors replied that he expected the program to be sustained as part of an existing grant stream he identified as the GIVE grant, and said the county has received that funding for years; he characterized the DCJS award as fitting into that broader funding structure.

The agenda item would also amend the 2025 probation department budget to record the grant revenue and related spending. A committee member moved to authorize the agreement and amend the budget; the motion was seconded by Committee member O'Coral. The transcript does not record a final vote tally on the item.

The discussion focused on the grant’s staffing and technology line items and on how the county would maintain services once the one-year award period ends. The committee approved the previous meeting’s minutes earlier in the session (motion by Committee member Justin; second by Committee member Weigart).