City leaders call for gun reform amid current gun violence crisis across NYC

Members of the City Council say they will be sending a letter to the governor asking for two major changes to our state’s gun laws as well.

News 12 Staff

Oct 7, 2021, 10:56 AM

Updated 1,151 days ago

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City councilmembers gathered Thursday to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to change the state’s gun laws after months of violence across the five boroughs.
Members of the City Council say they will be sending a letter to the governor asking for two major changes to our state’s gun laws as well.
The first change the councilmembers are asking for is to allow judges to decide whether to place a person in custody or let them out on bail if they are caught with a firearm.
The second change would be to change the process that releases individuals who are arrested for gun violence.
The city councilmembers are asking for this change after months of shootings across the city, including seven people who were killed over Labor Day weekend in the Bronx.
The officials will meet at City Hall Park and are also expected to discuss how gun violence is impacting youth after they say more than 20 children have been killed this year alone.
Multiple shootings in the Bronx borough have happened near or at parks this summer, all while local leaders spent the summer months pushing anti-gun violence initiatives like Safe Summer 2021.
Although shootings in the city are down compared to this time last year, according to data from the NYPD, gun violence is still higher than it was before the pandemic.
So far this year, the NYPD has made 3,425 gun-related arrests, which is up more than 20.9% compared to the first nine months of 2020.
The governor will be having a news conference of her own later Thursday where she’s expected to address gun violence across the tri-state area.
This all happening the same day police responded to a shooting on Valentine Avenue around 1 a.m. Thursday. Police say an unknown suspect entered the lobby of the apartment complex in the area and shot a 22-year-old twice. The 22-year-old is in stable condition, according to police.