Mayor Eric Adams attended a gun violence roundtable
discussion in the Bronx on Saturday, calling it a huge issue plaguing New York
City and everyone who calls it home.
Some of those who attended the meeting included members of
Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (BRAG), Save Our Streets (SOS) and Release the
Grip. They agreed that intervention must start early in the school systems.
They also called gun violence a massive quality of life and called on leaders
to improve living conditions, especially in housing projects.
For these groups to expand their footprint, they say it also
comes down to funding. The mayor added that combatting the violence is
something all city agencies must be a part of. That’s why he says every city
agency will now get a crisis management liaison.
"We're going to lay that blueprint out and this will
give everyone the marching orders that were moving in the same direction to end
this violence that we're seeing,” said Mayor Adams. “Because if the police just
take thousands of guns off the street and we are putting dangerous criminals on
the street or we're not addressing the flow of guns – then we're wasting our
time."
The mayor says that action plan will involve taking a look
at all current legislation and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. He
says we can expect to see the plan in the coming weeks.
The roundtable discussion comes in the wake of several
shootings this month involving police officers and one involving
an
11-month-old girl.