Although the feeling of fear persists in the face of the aggressive “epidemic” of armed violence that “shot up” in parallel to the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, official numbers show New York with the rate of Lowest homicide rate of the 10 largest states in the country: This means that during 2022 there were 3.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, which is much less than the national average of 6.3 deaths.
These figures, shared this Tuesday by Governor Kathy Hochul, derived from data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), places the Big Apple in the same period of time with the third lowest place in murders in the nation among the 20 largest cities, behind only San Jose and San Diego.
So far in 2023, the official numbers are more encouraging.
Already showing statewide, the fewest number of shootings since March 2020. And in New York City, which was marred by dire numbers early last year, it reports 73 incidents, the fewest since May 2020. .
“Each and every incident is tragic, and each shooting represents an untold amount of pain. We must continue to treat armed violence, as the public health crisis that it is, identifying the source, interrupting its transmission and treating it”, reacted the state president during the annual Northwell Health Armed Violence Prevention Forum.
A disastrous 2020
New York’s strategy to curb armed violence has accelerated since January 2022, when in the case of the streets of the Big Apple, shootings intensified due to the gunpowder boom, particularly among gang members. In January 2022, it was particularly bloody. With over 100 shootings in all five boroughs. The highest trend in a decade.
Then in May, a massacre inside a supermarket in Buffalo, which left 10 dead, the product of a hate crime, set off other alarms that ended with the approval of a series of ten laws to strengthen the prevention of armed violence in the state. of New York, such as a ban on ghost guns, high-capacity magazines, and bulletproof vests.
Bail eligibility for firearms offenses has also been expanded, the age to purchase semi-automatic weapons has been raised to 21, and the first Interstate Task Force on Illegal Weapons in the country has been launched, which will meet again on next month.
In the Big Apple, the Mayor has taken his own steps, dusting off an Anti-Crime Unit of undercover police officers, who have been dispatched to the 30 most violent neighborhoods, where 80% of firearms incidents occur.
more shields are coming
Although in recent weeks, both Governor Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have spearheaded the fact that there are concrete advances in the fight against this “epidemic”, they have also made it clear that this is not the time to claim victory.
Along with this flattening of the curve of armed violence, some very “high-profile” shootings have been staged, such as the one registered on February 11 at 5:30 in the afternoon, when a 22-year-old young man, resident of The Bronx, was fatally shot while walking on Eighth Avenue and West 44th Street, in the middle of Times Square.
“We are taking important steps in the right direction, but these numbers are still too high,” the governor pointed out.
For this reason, in the 2023 executive budget, the state president plans to finance the second phase of a comprehensive public safety and investment plan to further reduce armed violence, which consists of doubling the funds to $36 million for the Initiative for the Elimination of Gun Violence (GIVE), which provides more resources to local police officers for equipment, overtime and technical assistance.
GIVE supports 20 police departments in 17 counties that account for more than 80 percent of violent crime that occurs in New York State outside of the Big Apple: Albany, Broome, Chautauqua, Dutchess, Erie, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara , Oneida, Onondaga , Orange, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester.
District attorneys’ offices, probation departments, sheriff’s offices will also receive more funding through this initiative.
More funds to support young people
Hochul’s vision for the coming months also supports community organizations that provide services, support and opportunities for youth and their families, including a continued investment of $25 million in the SNUG (Street Outreach) program.
SNUG programs employ staff who work with adolescents and young adults to detect and defuse disputes before they escalate, respond to shootings to prevent retaliation through mediation. And help the families of people who have been injured or killed.
This also implies advising young people involved in violent situations to connect them with educational and employment opportunities.
They push for tougher laws
This Tuesday, volunteers and survivors of gun attacks, grouped in the movement ‘Mothers Demand Action NY’ (NY Moms Demand Action), met in Albany to advocate for the passage of other laws that put a stronger hand on gun violence .
According to the weightings of this organization, all the measurements point to New York occupying the second position, with the second most stringent set of gun laws in the country. Although they bet that more barriers will be put up.
“We know our work is not done. We look forward to partnering with legislators this coming session to continue to strengthen gun safety laws,” said Alexis Gevanter, Moms Demand Action activist.
Now, activists are calling for a law to be passed that would add an excise tax to the commercial sale of firearm ammunition. The proceeds from the new tax would be used to finance the Community Violence Prevention and Intervention Fund.
Another draft bill proposes expanding compensation funds for victims of armed violence. Under the current scheme, communities of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, the disabled and immigrants have many limits to receive compensation.
Similarly, it is proposed that legislators end the “qualified immunity” of police officers.
“Like any wrongdoer, there must be responsibility for law enforcement officers who do not act in accordance with the law, and abuse their authority, harming those they are sworn to protect,” the activists stress.
The qualified immunity model makes it nearly impossible to sue an NYPD officer who misuses a weapon.
In the sight:
- 171% compared to pre-pandemic levels firearm seizures increased in NY last year.
- 10,093 guns were taken off the street in 2022