NYC mayor unveils $485M blueprint for community safety, to fight gun violence
CIVIC CENTER, Manhattan (WABC) -- Mayor Eric Adams was joined by city officials to unveil the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Blueprint on Monday morning.
Adams was joined by Governor Kathy Hochul and police officials to discuss their approach to tackling gun violence.
The blueprint outlines more than $485 million in investments to use a public health and community development approach to address the causes of gun violence.
The plan prioritizes investments and resources for six precincts across the city that have experienced the highest rate of gun violence in 2022. Authorities say those precincts reported 25% of shootings and 39% of shots fired incidents last year.
Most of the funds will go toward early intervention opportunities to steer young people away from guns, better housing, helping to navigate social programs and revitalizing neighborhoods by investing in parks and community centers.
"We've buried too many Black and Brown boys, particularly boys, the number one cause of death for Black boys is homicide, the number one cause," said Attorney General Letitia James.
A task force made up of more than 20 agencies, including the NYPD, identified seven strategies based on months of community engagement, including:
-Early intervention
-Housing
-Navigation and benefits
-Community vitality
-Employment and entrepreneurship
-Trauma-informed care
-Community and police relations
"Public safety is not only a prerequisite, but the pathway to prosperity. It is what we have campaigned, and what we have delivered. Overall, crime is down across the city year to date, and our numbers continue to trend in the right direction. The work of public safety is never done and even a single loss of life to gun violence is a tragedy," Adams said.
The plan also sets aside $2.6 million for safety initiatives that strengthen the relationship between police and community members.
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