Our Bureau New York, NY
Leading mayoral candidate Eric Adams has shared his plan to combat illegal gun trafficking in New York City, amid a spike in shootings across the five boroughs; over this most recent weekend, there were at least 15 shooting incidents across the five boroughs. Reports in recent years have noted that upwards of 90 percent of guns used to commit a crime in this city come from another state. He released a series of proposed actions outside the local field office of the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Bureau (ATF) alongside Council Member Adrienne Adams, chair of the Committee on Public Safety.
“We need to tackle the supply of guns that is responsible for this bloodshed, and we need to address the demand for the behaviors and decisions that lead to the bloodshed in the first place,” said mayoral candidate Eric Adams. “As Senate Republicans block common-sense gun reforms, including passing background checks and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, we must lead on the local level to combat the Iron Pipeline and get illegal guns out of our communities. The prerequisite to prosperity is public safety. It is time to get serious on crime, and on the illegal guns fueling it, and my plan is the plan to make New York City safe.”
“The proliferation of gun violence is on the mind of all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Adrienne Adams. “We must have a plan that is aggressive, feasible, and workable in order to make a successful breakthrough on this epidemic of violence. Borough President Eric Adams presents a robust vision to public safety that we need.”
Eric Adams’ plan to combat illegal gun trafficking includes:
- Shifting resources into the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division, a highly-specialized unit within the Detectives Bureau tasked with seizing illegal guns and building cases against illegal carriers and traffickers; this shift in resources will be accompanied by a plan to control wasteful department spending, including a strategic civilianization of non-patrol roles and lowering overtime costs related to paperwork.
- Establishing regular meetings between the commanding officer of the Gun Violence Suppression Division and community stakeholders in our highest gun crime precincts, to discuss individual shootings and patterns as well as to enhance the community’s role in pursuit of getting illegal guns off the streets.
- Creating a Special Citywide Prosecutor for Illegal Guns, with the dedicated resources and focus needed to manage and litigate illegal gun cases, and to help our pursuit of seeing these cases adjudicated more swiftly in our court system.
- Preventing guns from coming into our city through our bus and train stations with spot checks, similar to those already used at subway stations.
- Establishing an interstate task force to coordinate NYPD investigations focused on illegal gun trafficking with jurisdictions supplying illegal guns to New York, focused on the small number of dealers that supply the bulk of illegal guns; this would work in concert with plans he has already mentioned for a tri-state commission to formulate policy proposals that would stop the flow of illegal handguns into our communities, as well as to coordinate a multi-state East Coast compact to share intelligence on illegal gun dealers and potential traffickers.
- Seeking arrests and prosecutions, under “impact jurisdiction,” of out-of-state illegal gun dealers selling into New York City, and pursuing civil remedies as well.
- Coordinating monthly meetings involving all City/State/Federal agencies that “touch” illegal gun arrests, prosecutions, and adjudications.
- Organizing an interstate coalition to appeal to the Supreme Court in defense of New York’s handgun law.
“Gun violence is destroying too many of our city’s families and communities,” said Congressman Tom Suozzi. “I endorsed Eric because, as a former captain in the police department and an experienced public official, he knows how to combat senseless gun crimes, starting with getting illegal guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals. I pledge to work closely with Eric and help in any way that I can to make New York City neighborhoods safer.”
