Page 14 - The Indian EYE 013125

North The Indian Eye

AMERICANNewsline

14 JANUARY 31, 2025

Mayor Adams Announces Removal of

20,000+ Illegal Firearms from Streets since

beginning of his Administration

Gun Seizures Have Contributed to 23 Percent Reduction in Homicides and

42 Percent Reduction in Shootings Since January 2022

OUR BUREAU unserialized (and therefore untrace-
able) firearms that are put together
NEW YORK, NY
by components purchased either as
ew York City Mayor Eric Ad- a kit or as separate pieces or printed
ams has announced that the through 3-D printers, and that are
NNew York City Police Depart- fully functioning as fully finished, se-
ment (NYPD) has removed more rialized firearm. These untraceable
than 20,000 illegal firearms from New firearms often end up in the hands
York City streets since the beginning of criminals, as well as underage
of the administration — which is ap- purchasers. Incidents involving ghost
proximately 3,000 more guns off our guns reflect a dangerously escalating
streets than the previous three-year trend — one that the NYPD is lead-
period from 2019 to 2021. Because ing the charge against. The NYPD
of the Adams administration’s stead- recovered 17 ghost guns in 2018, 48
fast focus on eradicating gun violence, in 2019, 150 in 2020, 263 in 2021, 585
homicides and shootings have con- olence Prevention Task Force — we decreases in homicides over the last in 2022, 394 in 2023 and 438 in 2024.
sistently declined over the last three invested in diversion programs, tar- three years have saved 268 lives and In July 2024, Mayor Adams led
years — with homicides decreasing geted the root causes of gun violence, resulted in 1,500 fewer shooting vic- the charge urging the U.S. Supreme
a total of 22.7 percent and shootings raised expectations, and increased tims during the Adams administra- Court to uphold common sense ghost
decreasing 42.2 percent since May- enforcement across the board. Be- tion. Year-to-date, in 2025, there gun regulations. Along with Mayors
or Adams was sworn in on January cause of our steadfast focus on erad- have already been 350 illegal fire- Against Illegal Guns and Manhattan
1, 2022. Additionally, 2024 was the icating gun violence, New York City arms removed from city streets, as District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.,
fourth lowest year for shooting inci- continues to be the safest big city in NYPD officers continue to save lives. Mayor Adams announced the filing of

dents citywide since the NYPD Com- America.” Every firearm taken off a city an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme
pStat management system began “Since the start of this administra- street is only one part of the equation Court in Garland v. VanDerStok, in
tracking crime statistics over 30 years tion, the NYPD has successfully tak- — ensuring meaningful consequenc- support of federal regulations issued
ago, in 1993. en a staggering 20,000 illegal guns off es for the small percentage of New by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
“The North Star of our adminis- the streets of New York City — weap- Yorkers who possess illegal firearms Firearms and Explosives that require
tration has been safer streets, safer ons that pose a serious threat to all and commit violence is another. The ghost gun parts to have serial num-
subways, and a safer city for New our communities,” said NYPD Com- 2019 state legislative changes to dis- bers and compel background checks
York families,” said Mayor Adams. missioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Wheth- covery were necessary to improve the for prospective buyers of ghost gun
“And that means taking on the issue er on the streets or in the subways, fairness of the criminal justice system, home-assembly kits.
of gun violence. The NYPD has re- our officers work tirelessly to seize however some of the consequences Ending gun violence continues to
moved more than 20,000 illegal fire- these weapons, and the results are have crippled the system, leading to be Mayor Adams’ top priority. In his
arms from our streets since the day clear: shootings are down 42 percent case dismissals for technical viola- first month in office, in January 2022,
I was sworn in as your mayor. That’s throughout the city. Every single gun tions and increased case processing Mayor Adams released the “Blue-
20,000 weapons that no longer threat- we seize is a potential life saved and times, including for firearm charges. print to End Gun Violence,” which
en the safety of our neighborhoods, tragedy averted, and we will continue Prior to discovery reform, local dis- laid out his priorities to immediate-
our families, and our children. That’s our efforts to crack down on illegal trict attorneys declined to prosecute ly address the crisis of guns on New
20,000 fewer chances that a New trafficking and protect New Yorkers or dismissed 32 percent of non-vio- York City streets. Pursuant to the
Yorker is shot or killed — 20,000 riv- from this violence.” lent felony cases in New York City — blueprint, in March 2022, the NYPD
ers of violence dammed up before The NYPD is New York City’s that number increased to 51 percent launched its Neighborhood Safety
they flood our city. This is a major first line of defense against gun vio- in 2023. Teams to focus on gun violence pre-
milestone. Over the past three years, lence, and officers continue to take Out of the more than 20,000 vention in areas that account for a
we launched Neighborhood Safety firearms off the streets in record guns seized, more than 1,400 of them disproportionate amount of citywide
Teams and established the Gun Vi- numbers every day. The consistent have been identified as ghost guns — shootings.

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