After rash of shootings in NYC, Mayor de Blasio unveils 'Violence Prevention Plan'
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled the city's Violence Prevention Plan in the wake of several more shootings which he called "unacceptable."
"We have seen some tough weekends, particularly last weekend, and particularly in Harlem, we saw way too much violence and it's not something that is acceptable in this city" the mayor said. "We cannot have people live in fear, we cannot have our young people in the cross hairs, it is not something we will allow in this city. We have to do better and this weekend coming up has to be better, particularly in Harlem, where we are focusing a lot of our efforts to change the reality on the ground."
Under the plan, the NYPD will increase its presence on more than 20 streets and public housing developments this weekend.
There will be a youth town hall next Friday in Harlem, along with additional youth engagement like pop-up basketball skills and drills, and activating Open Streets.
Community leadership will also offer neighborhood walks with them and NYPD leadership. "It will show common cause," de Blasio said.
As part of the Cure Violence initiative, the participants will offer street corner resources and be violence interrupters and help de-escalate conflict.
There will also be clergy and faith-based outreach along with a "Take Back the Block" initiative.
Thursday night, there was a double shooting in the Uniondale section of the Bronx that injured a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old.
Separately, there were also three shootings with four victims in 90 minutes Thursday night in Brooklyn.
At 9:40 p.m., a 19-year-old man was shot in the leg at 183 Wortman Avenue in East New York. He is in stable condition.
At 10:30 p.m., a 60-year-old woman was shot in the knee outside 270 Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brownsville. She is in stable condition.
And at 11 p.m., two men, both 28, were shot in a drive by shooting outside 1117 St. Marks Avenue in Crown Heights. One was shot in the leg, the other in the back. Both are in stable condition.
So far, there are no arrests in any of the shootings.
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