Police are saying that the number of shootings this past Fourth of July Weekend went significantly down citywide compared to 2022 and 2021.  

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey told News 12 that the NYPD chose to put an extra 200 officers on patrol, particularly in the Bronx, where they saw shootings just days before the holiday weekend.  

“We pulled a level 4 mobilization, where we took one car from every command in the city, 65 additional cars, just to put enough resources in the Bronx,” said Maddrey.  

MORE: Bronx leaders address recent violence in the Bronx (link to the other story I sent) 

Maddrey says the department is working to make a difference. Maddrey says although there were over a dozen shootings over the holiday weekend, the city nearly saw double the amount in 2022.  

Community organizations such Lay The Guns Down say they had boots on the ground and were working directly with the NYPD.  

“We bring our young people, young adults, to be able to play a game but also talk to them about gun violence and violence prevention,” said Mike Tucker, founder of Lay The Guns Down. 

Acting NYPD commissioner Edward Caban says there were 49 shootings citywide from July 1 to July 5 in 2020. In the same time frame in 2022, there were 43 shootings. This year, there were 23. Caban says this is a step in the right direction but that there is more work to be done.