Three prominent New York Democrats announced a gun violence prevention plan intended in part to blunt Republican critics who’ve portrayed New York City as a crime-ridden hellscape. “You can’t say you’re serious about fighting crime if you’re not serious about getting illegal guns off our streets,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul. “And that is the difference between red states and blue states and the statistics bear it out.”Last year’s Democratic losses in New York — and Hochul’s own close call — have been blamed on the party’s lack of vision on public safety. Republicans have vilified big-city and big-state Democrats as a part of the problem, saying their energy is spent on social issues when it should be focused on combating crime, reports Politico.
On Monday, Hochul, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and state Attorney General Tish James joined dozens of government officials and community leaders to unveil a blueprint from the city’s Gun Prevention Task Force. The three highlighted what they described as a novel — and necessary — partnership that unites the state’s leading Democrats, whose predecessors were often entangled in intraparty infighting. The road map commits $485 million toward a multifaceted approach that includes resources for early intervention, housing and police relations. It focuses on six NYPD precincts with the highest gun violence rates. The mayor called New York City the safest big city.” Administration officials touted a 27 percent decline in shootings as of last week compared with last year. The NYPD has removed more than 11,000 illegal guns from the streets since Adams took office in January 2022. “It clearly shows that when people are saying, ‘Democrats are soft on crime,’ that’s just not the reality,” said Adams, a former NYPD captain who has staked his mayoralty on increasing public safety.