Press Release

District Attorney Melinda Katz today announced the creation of a new Crime Strategies and Intelligence Unit to improve public safety in Queens County by focusing prosecutorial resources on proactively reducing and preventing criminal activity, particularly violent criminal offenses and gun trafficking.  DA Katz also announced the appointment of Shanon LaCorte as the Unit’s Director.

District Attorney Katz said, “The creation of our Crime Strategies and Intelligence Unit keeps us on the cutting edge of modern prosecution in Queens County. This unit will enhance the way we utilize analytic tools and data science to identify crime trends and opportunities to reduce violent crime by rooting out those individuals most responsible for driving these offenses. At the same time, we can ensure that appropriate, non-violent offenders are afforded opportunities for interventions and/or rehabilitative services.”

By analyzing data and intelligence from law enforcement and community partners, CSIU can inform prosecutorial decisions such as alternative sentencing, and can more effectively focus law enforcement resources on drivers of violent crime to improve prove public safety.  The Unit will also provide assistance to individual prosecutions and investigations by supplying context, evidence, and actionable intelligence across all Divisions within the District Attorney’s Office.

Prior to leading this Unit, Assistant District Attorney LaCorte was Special Counsel at the New York State Attorney General’s Statewide Organized Crime Task Force.  Mr. LaCorte previously served in the New York State Attorney General’s Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau.  Mr. LaCorte also served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and started his career as a litigation associate at the law firm of Schulte Roth and Zabel, LLP.

The Crime Strategies and Intelligence Unit will operate within the Queens District Attorney’s Investigations Division under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gerard A. Brave.