State police sent to LI high schools to combat MS-13, other gangs
Gov. Cuomo announced on Wednesday that a contingent of state troopers would be sent to Long Island high schools as part of a new initiative to help combat gangs such as the notorious MS-13.
The Gang Violence Prevention Unit would consist of 10 state troopers who would be dispatched to 10 Suffolk County schools that are deemed “high-risk” for gang activity, according to the Governor’s Office.
“Our No. 1 job in government is to keep all New Yorkers, and especially our children, safe,” Cuomo said.
“By partnering with our schools, we will be better prepared to stop gang activity before it starts and end this heinous cycle of violence.”
Cuomo made the announcement on the one- year anniversary of the murders of high-school students Nisa Mickens, 15, and Kayla Cuevas, 16, by MS-13.
The two best friends were beaten with baseball bats and hacked with a machete during an attack that began when gang members spotted them walking together in Brentwood.
Ten members of the gang were indicted after a wave of Long Island violence that included the slaughter of the girls.
The defendants — who face up to life in prison or the death penalty — include Edwin Antonio “Strong” Amaya-Sanchez, 29, who the feds say is a leader of an MS-13 chapter in El Salvador.
Cuomo said the effort was “just one step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate the threat of MS-13 and ensure that every student remains on the path to a bright future.”