New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces $36 million for local police departments to further combat gun violence in NY – NBC New York

According to Governor Kathy Hochul, gun violence in New York State has declined significantly in the first five months of the year.

According to the governor, gun violence across the state has dropped 28% in the first five months of the year. In addition to announcing those statistics on Thursday, Hochul also announced that she would provide nearly $36 million to local law enforcement agencies to further combat gun violence.

Data from 28 police departments in 21 counties participating in the Gun Involved Violence Elimination Initiative (GIVE), which provides agencies with funding for crime-fighting efforts in communities outside New York City, show there has been a 28% and 20% decline in shootings involving personal injury this year and through May 2024, respectively.

“The 28 percent decrease reflects 218 shooting incidents with injuries from January 1 to May 31, 2024, compared to 303 incidents from January 1 to May 31, 2023,” the governor’s office said.

According to the governor, the murder rate is at its lowest level since 1970 and is therefore a “historic low.”

“This means that real life is, for once, spared from the scourge of gun violence,” Hochul said. “People can raise their children in a safe environment, pursue their dreams and make a difference in their community.”

Overall, index crimes in all seven categories – four violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and three property crimes (burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft) – also decreased outside New York City in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

To advance these efforts, the Governor announced that her office would invest $36 million in the GIVE program for the second consecutive year, a record amount of funding.

Hochul also used the opportunity to report on recent hate crimes in New York against the Jewish community. Recent reports include the acts of vandalism at the homes of the Brooklyn Museum’s Jewish director and other board members on Tuesday. This comes after an Anti-Defamation League report released earlier this year found that anti-Semitic crimes in New York increased 110% in the last quarter of 2023, setting a new record.

In response to these hate crimes, Hochul announced that the New York State Police would be strengthened in “sensitive locations across New York.” In March of this year, the governor and Mayor Eric Adams also unveiled a comprehensive five-point plan to improve subway security, which includes the deployment of the National Guard. Hochul is convinced that this plan “is starting to work, both in terms of reducing crime and making people feel safer.”

Hochul also proposed banning face masks on public transportation to deter people from engaging in criminal activity while concealing their identities in these spaces.

“As governor, I will leave no stone unturned in my mission to keep New Yorkers safe until everyone feels safe,” Hochul said.