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Gun violence is getting out of control in New York City.
After four NYPD Officers were shot in a 72 hour period, newly minted Mayor Eric Adams is fighting back, pledging, “We will not surrender our City to the violent few.”
Rising Crime in New York City
Since swearing-in, more New Yorkers are reporting violent crimes in their city than over the same period last year. Currently, shooting incidents are up 16% and felony assaults have increased 8%.
The Mayor spoke of victims as young as 11 months old along with night-shift workers simply doing their jobs. Most recently, two police officers ambushed while responding to a domestic violence call.
The common link? Gun violence.
“We are going to do a lot more than pray,” said Mayor Adams.
As a retired NYPD captain himself, Adams vowed that he knows this problem and its solutions.
He announced sweeping plans to curb the violent trajectory including neighborhood safety teams in high crime areas. He will also expand NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division. “We will have boots on the ground on every block in this city,” said the Mayor.
Gun Violence in New York City
“Gun violence is a public health crisis,” Mayor Adams says.
Parts of the plan include more patrols on the streets and subway along with collaborating with city agencies and local courts. Mayor Adams also cited prevention strategies like fixing broken schools, homelessness, and addressing mental health needs.
The mayor also encourages clergy to address community needs during sermons.
Adams’ administration may ask business owners to install surveillance cameras facing the street from their shops. Facial recognition technology is also a priority, along with spot checks at bus and train stops.
Moreover, Adams plans to bring back a controversial anti-crime unit that was disbanded in 2020 due to disproportionately high shootings and complaints against officers.
Is this Stop-and-Frisk 2.0?
NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the council can “appreciate the mayor’s focus on the epidemic of violence our city faces and the need for multiple solutions.” However, she also added, “Concerns have been raised in communities about the plainclothes unit’s ability to reduce violence, given its past history of initiating undue violence.”
As the city experiences a torrential crime wave, how Mayor Adams’s best-laid plans materialize will set precedent for NYC moving forward.
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