New York Sees 28% Drop in Shootings, Hochul Boosts Police Budgets
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Albany, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a significant decrease in shootings resulting in injuries, with a 28% drop from January to May compared to the previous year.
This statistic, supported by data from police departments participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, shows a promising trend in the fight against gun violence.
From January to May 2024, there were 218 shootings, a sharp decline from the 303 incidents during the same period in 2023. Additionally, the number of shooting victims decreased by 24%, from 360 victims in the first five months of 2023 to 272 in 2024.
“Even with crime trending down, we fought to maintain unprecedented funding levels for gun violence prevention in our most recent budget,” Governor Hochul emphasized.
Highlighting these positive trends, she announced an additional $36 million investment in the GIVE program, supporting 28 agencies across New York for the second consecutive year.
The total funding amounting to $36,199,999, is aimed at combating violent crime and saving lives. An amount of $262,089 has been set aside to address any arising issues. The allocation breakdown by county is as follows:
- Albany County: $2,441,289
- Broome County: $872,833
- Cayuga County: $370,655
- Chautauqua County: $682,014
- Chemung County: $383,147
- Dutchess County: $1,466,363
- Erie County: $6,482,391
- Jefferson County: $507,948
- Monroe County: $6,254,325
- Nassau County: $1,494,692
- Niagara County: $2,188,290
- Oneida County: $1,435,330
- Onondaga County: $3,231,376
- Orange County: $1,782,060
- Rensselaer County: $1,285,599
- Rockland County: $357,920
- Schenectady County: $1,200,773
- Suffolk County: $1,307,677
- Tompkins County: $383,595
- Ulster County: $405,525
- Westchester County: $1,404,108
In a broader context, SafeHome.org recently released statistics on gun control, noting a 20% growth in gun sales nationwide over the past decade, though sales dropped by 4% between 2022 and 2023.
According to the source, in New York, gun sales plummeted by 15% over the same period, marking one of the most significant declines in the country. Only D.C., Delaware, and Louisiana experienced similar or greater reductions.
New York not only witnessed one of the steepest drops in sales but also maintained some of the lowest overall gun sales. Only New Jersey, Nebraska, and D.C. had comparably low numbers in 2023.
SafeHome.org highlighted that Texas, Florida, and California led in gun sales, while residents of Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska purchased guns at approximately seven times the rate of New Yorkers.
The report credited the drop in sales to highly publicized gun violence incidents, increased red-flag laws, and enhanced background checks. In 2023, 226 guns were sold for every 10,000 New Yorkers over the age of 21. So far in 2024, about 106,651 guns have been purchased by New Yorkers.
Additionally, state police have seized 973 guns so far in 2024. Governor Hochul expressed confidence that this number will surpass last year’s total of 1,463 seized firearms.
In legislative news, New York passed S4598A/A4917D, a measure funding anti-violence education in schools. This legislation represents another step in the state’s comprehensive approach to gun safety.
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