Governor Kathy Hochul chalked up recent state decreases in shootings, and an uptick in gun seizures, to her interstate gun task force Wednesday.
The state has seized 6,000 illegal guns since January when the governor assembled the firearms panel, up 20% compared to the same time last year. Meanwhile, shootings have dropped by around 11% across the Empire State.
Hochul formed the gun tracking group with eight other East Coast states — Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire — and has since also added Canadian province of Quebec. The panel shares local law enforcement information on the flow of firearms and works with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
