Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul unveil $500M plan to combat gun violence in NYC
NEW YORK - Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul making a big announcement at city hall Monday, about a state and city plan to invest half a billion dollars to prevent gun violence.
This announcement was focused on investing in communities that have been historically under-invested in, specifically six precincts in the Bronx and Brooklyn, that made up 25% of the city's gun violence.
The plan is to take $485 million and use it towards boosting several goals including:
- Early Intervention: $118.3 million to increase early support, including mentorship opportunities, for young people to prevent them from becoming involved in gun violence.
- Housing: $57.5 million to improve existing housing conditions, especially for public housing residents, and increase access to transitional, supportive, and permanent housing units.
- Navigation & Benefits: $67.8 million to help New Yorkers access public benefits they deserve and provide better assistance to justice-involved individuals and families navigating benefits programs.
- Community Vitality: $8.64 million to invest in public spaces, including parks, playgrounds, and community centers to make neighborhoods safer and more vibrant.
- Employment and Entrepreneurship: $118.5 million to target opportunity and skills training for young New Yorkers and justice-involved individuals to give them pathways to sustainable, well-paying jobs.
- Trauma-Informed Care: $106.66 million to bolster mental health resources for young people and others with a diagnosed mental illness, and ensure appropriate crisis response to those suffering from mental health episodes.
- Community & Police Relations: $2.6 million to strengthen bonds of trust between police and communities by allowing greater collaboration on neighborhood safety initiatives, ensuring more effective policing that balances the twin imperatives of safety and justice.
They’re calling it "A Blueprint for Community Safety". The plan was born out of 18 months of work by the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, using feedback from 1,500 residents and 800 kids.
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The focus is to ensure public safety is not about locking up the criminals— it’s about preventing kids from becoming criminals.
"Public safety is not only a prerequisite but the pathway to prosperity. It is what we have campaigned, and what we have delivered. Overall, crime is down across the city year to date, and our numbers continue to trend in the right direction. The work of public safety is never done and even a single loss of life to gun violence is a tragedy," said Mayor Adams.
Over time, the city going to measure the decreases in crime, to see if the program is working. The Mayor also said this program should help curtail random acts of violence in the city.
According to the report, approximately 92% of total gun violence in New York City is concentrated within 30 precincts across the five boroughs. Six of these precincts — representing 25% of shooting incidents and 39% of confirmed shots fired citywide in 2022 — are being prioritized for new and expanded investments recommended in the report. The six precincts are:
• Precinct 40 – Port Morris, Mott Haven, and Melrose
• Precinct 42 – Morrisania, Claremont, and Crotona Park
• Precinct 44 – Grand Concourse, Bronx Terminal Market, and Yankee Stadium
• Precinct 47 – Wakefield, Woodlawn, Baychester, and Williamsbridge
• Precinct 73 – Brownsville and Ocean Hill
• Precinct 75 – East New York and Cypress Hill
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