Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday that gun violence in the state has reached its lowest level since 2006, when the state began tracking this data.
In communities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) reported a 15 percent decline in shooting victims and a 9 percent decline in shootings resulting in injury from January 1 to April 30 compared to the same period last year, the governor’s office said in a press release.
What To Know
The police departments involved in the GIVE initiative include Albany Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Jamestown Police Department, Elmira Police Department, Poughkeepsie Police Department, Amherst Police Department and Buffalo Police Department.
Cheektowaga Police Department, Lackawanna Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Greece Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Hempstead Police Department, Nassau County Police Department and Niagara Falls Police Department also participate in the GIVE initiative.
Other law enforcement agencies following the GIVE initiative are Utica Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Middletown Police Department, Newburgh Police Department, Troy Police Department, Spring Valley Police Department, Schenectady Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Ithaca Police Department, Kingston Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department and Yonkers Police Department.
Between January and April, these departments reported 156 shooting victims, down from 183 during the same period last year.
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Since 2021, when Hochul took office, shootings in New York are down 50 percent and murders are down 30 percent, the release said.
Why It Matters
The data comes from 28 police departments outside of New York City participating in the GIVE initiative. These police departments report around 90 percent of violent crimes involving firearms outside New York City.
The initiative aims at reducing shootings and other firearm-related crimes by providing state funding to local law enforcement agencies for equipment, overtime and personnel. It also provides training and technical assistance to those agencies.
What People Are Saying
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement: “Keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority. Since taking office, my administration has been laser focused on eliminating gun violence and reducing the number of gun-related injuries and fatalities across the State.
Our efforts are working, and I am committed to continuing our record level support for gun violence prevention initiatives in our most impacted communities to ensure all New Yorkers are safe.”
DCJS Commissioner Rossana Rosado, in a statement: “New York’s strategy is working because it’s grounded in data, backed by funding, and built on strong partnerships. We are proud to support our law enforcement and community partners with the tools they need to make every neighborhood safer.”
What Happens Next
Hochul’s office said that the 2026 fiscal year budget will build on public safety efforts, including $347 million allocated to gun violence programs and continued funding for DCJS initiatives that support local law enforcement, community-based violence prevention and victim services.
