Key elected officials on the city, state and federal level this week gave measured or full support to Mayor Eric Adams’ “Blueprint to End Gun Violence” plan for New York City.
The blueprint calls for among other things, increases in spending for violence interrupters, and mental health and social services professionals, and social programs, as well as more controversial measures such as flooding high-crime neighborhoods and the subways with more police – including bringing back the reimagined NYPD anticrime units – and a rollback to some criminal justice and bail reforms enacted in the past few legislative sessions.
In outlining the plan, the mayor emphasized strong government support on all levels.
“We appreciate the mayor’s focus on the epidemic of violence our city faces and the need for multiple solutions, as the problem is complex and requires multifaceted approaches,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens), whose support for the plan is crucial amongst the diverse views within that chamber.
“An important way we can support the NYPD in its efforts to improve public safety is by expanding our commitment to complementary public safety work by other stakeholders in every city agency and community partner that can help prevent crime and violence — this plan starts to recognize that reality. We strongly welcome the mayor’s focus on strengthening community-based violence prevention programs, mental health care, and investments in youth employment — and we’re glad these are so central to the plan and conversation, providing a great starting point. The mayor’s advocacy for action on gun control in Washington and efforts to target gun trafficking is also critical,” Speaker Adams added.
Other City Council Members initially supporting the plan include Shaun Abreu, Joann Ariola, Minority Leader Joseph Borelli, David Carr, Eric Dinowitz, Oswald Feliz, James Gennaro, Kamillah Hanks, Julie Menin, Lynn Schulman and Kalman Yeger.
On the state level, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester, Bronx) and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) reportedly expressed skepticism for rolling back measures passed in the last two Legislative sessions such as giving judges more discretion to set bail and allowing some alleged felons under the age of 18 to be tried in Criminal Court rather than Family Court.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state lawmakers, however, threw measured or full support behind the plan.
“Too many lives have been lost. Too many live in fear. We have a moral obligation to confront the gun violence epidemic, and that means working with leaders at all levels of government to keep New Yorkers safe,” said Hochul. “Glad to have a public safety partner in [Mayor Adams].”
Other state supporters of the plan include Senators Leroy Comrie and Diane Savino; and Assemblymembers Jenifer Rajkumar, Assemblymember-elect Eddie Gibbs.
Support on the federal level came from U.S. Reps. Tom Suozzi and Gregory Meeks.
“We have lost too many of our sons and daughters to the epidemic of gun violence,” said Meeks. “Mayor Adams’ plan to combat this public health crisis is a real jolt of leadership at a critical time, and I will be a partner in this pursuit of public safety.”
