© Anthony Behar
NY: New York State Democratic Committee 2022 State Nominating Convention
NEW YORK (77WABC) — There’s been no target date from New York City Mayor Eric Adams or Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell as to when the NYPD’s new anti-gun violence units will hit the streets. The delay comes as crime increases and gun arrests are down.
“The unit is going to roll out — the [police] commissioner will give you the exact date, but let’s be clear, without the unit in place executing now, we are still removing hundreds of guns off the streets, because there is an operation that is in place and that will continue to be in place,” he told the New York Post. “So, regardless of any new unit that we’re going to unfold, we still got a job to do that the NYPD does, and we are doing that job.”
As of Sunday, police have made 770 firearms arrests in 2022. That’s down 12% over last year.
Adams has put the responsibility for rolling out the neighborhood safety teams on Sewell, however she’s dismissed reporters questions about the timeline of the rollout for weeks. NYPD data shows crime surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Murders, carjackings, robberies, felony assaults and burglaries are up.
