WCBV: Lowell, Massachusetts nonprofit working to reduce violence sees federal funds cut

April 23, 2025

LOWELL — At UTEC in Lowell, whether they are working in the teen drop-in center or are out on the streets, the mission is to help young adults who had been involved with criminal activity and gangs get on a path to success.

“This is about public safety and it’s about allowing young people to transform in their next steps,” UTEC CEO Gregg Croteau said in an interview.

But Croteau learned late Tuesday that the Department of Justice was cutting three grants to reduce violence totaling about $2 million.

“That’s grants that fund our work in the streets, behind the walls, the work directly supporting young adults when young adults are coming out of incarceration, when young adults are moving away from issues on the street. That’s what this funding and it’s all about helping reduce violence in the streets and helping young people ages 18 to 25 work on education and employment, their next journeys,” Croteau said.