NYC Spends $6M on Therapists for Ex-Con ‘Violence Interrupters’
New York City is spending $1.2 million of a $6 million contract to provide therapy for ex-convicts working as violence interrupters, drawing criticism for diverting funds from police.
The city has allocated $1.2 million out of a $6 million contract with Agape Moments LLC to establish the “Strong Messenger Program,” according to New York Post. The initiative provides counseling services to violence interrupters, many of whom have criminal backgrounds and violent histories, who are dispatched to defuse gang tensions in areas where they may have once been members themselves.
Under the program, 18 therapists have delivered 1,100 hours of group therapy across 32 non-profit organizations, reaching 360 individuals to date. The contract, funded by the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, extends through 2030.
Individual Sessions Available on Request
Clinicians have also provided more than 390 hours of individual therapy sessions to violence interrupters upon request, as New York Post reports. According to the 2024 contract signed under former Mayor Eric Adams, individual violence interrupters are eligible for up to 24 therapy sessions annually.
Agape Moments LLC, whose name derives from the Greek concept of unconditional love, defended the expenditure. The organization stated that investing in the mental health of community workers represents a direct investment in the long-term success and stability of New York City’s public safety infrastructure.
Law Enforcement Sources Criticize Program
The initiative has drawn sharp criticism from those who argue the left-wing program diverts funding from the NYPD while producing little tangible benefit. A police source questioned the necessity of therapy for individuals with criminal backgrounds, expressing frustration over the allocation of resources.
The city spends nearly $100 million annually on its Crisis Management System, which encompasses more than 20 non-profit Community Violence Intervention groups, according to a city comptroller’s report from last year.
Recent Incident Raises Concerns
The program’s effectiveness came under scrutiny when one Community Violence Intervention group receiving city funds employed an ex-convict who police say slashed a man in the Bronx last month. Mario Munro, a worker with Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence, allegedly attacked a stranger around 3 p.m. on May 5 near the nonprofit’s Boston Road office, police sources told New York Post.
Munro was arrested May 28 and charged with assault, weapon possession and menacing. He pleaded not guilty, with bail set at $40,000 cash or $100,000 bond. He was subsequently sent to Rikers Island jail.
Divided Perspectives on Program Value
Program supporters maintain that interrupters can more effectively communicate with potential offenders and defuse disputes before escalation because they share similar backgrounds. They cite city data showing reductions in shootings and crime in some of the city’s most notorious crime hotspots.
A Health Department spokesman defended the initiative, stating that violence interrupters are a vital component of the Mamdani administration’s response to conflict. The Strong Messenger program supports the mental and emotional health of violence interrupters as they handle stressful and violent conflicts, according to the statement, which claimed the program helps create a safer city for New Yorkers.
Michael Alcazar, a John Jay College of Criminal Justice adjunct professor and former NYPD detective, argued the counseling services are redundant. He noted that police already deal with violence and have access to counseling services, calling the program an unnecessary addition to the city budget when similar services could be obtained more economically through existing police resources.
With information from New York Post
