Cuomo Declares Statewide 'Disaster Emergency' On Gun Violence

NEW YORK, NY — Just two weeks after ending the coronavirus state of emergency in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is declaring emergency power on a new epidemic — surging gun violence across the state.

The governor signed an executive order Tuesday that establishes what he called a first-in-the-nation "disaster emergency" on gun violence. The order is paired with a $138-million plan to curb a spike in shootings that has plagued New York since the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We’re in a new epidemic — it’s gun violence, and it’s a matter of life and death," Cuomo said at a news conference at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "We cannot afford not to commit ourselves 100 percent to this effort."

The seven-step proposal comes after a particularly violent holiday weekend.

At least 51 people, 26 in New York City, were shot across the state over the Fourth of July weekend, Cuomo said. The violence claims the lives of at least 13 people, he said.

Cuomo said his plan will treat the gun violence epidemic as both a public health issue and civil rights issue. In New York, 68 percent of gun violence victims are non-white, a number that rises to 77 percent in New York City.

"Gun violence is hitting the Black and brown communities hardest and it's compounding the damage from COVID," he said.

Similar to his approach in the coronavirus crisis, the governor's plan includes a "cluster-based strategy" to target hot spots of gun violence. Under the executive order, police departments will be required to share weekly data so a new "Office of Gun Violence Prevention" led by the state's health department can track the shootings.

In New York City, Cuomo has already identified dozens of gun violence hot spots. He said Tuesday that across the state, just 4,090 young men between the ages of 18 and 24 were behind nearly half of gun violence in those areas.

The majority of the $138 million in the governor's plan will be used to invest in new jobs and outreach programs for youth aimed at preventing their involvement in shootings.

"The spike in gun violence began as COVID kept many young people out of school and work, and disruptions to social supports and services left at-risk youth without safe, productive places to go during the day," the governor said in a release.

The $76-million investment will include 21,000 summer jobs, job training and stipends for 2,400 young people in hot spot neighborhoods and more funding for sports, arts and recreational facilities this summer, Cuomo said.

The governor will also double the state's investment in Violence Intervention Programs, including a program used in the Bronx that connects shooting victims to resources through monitoring hospitals.

Police departments will be required to build on reform plans the governor ordered in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last year, Cuomo said. John Jay College of Criminal Justice will work with the local departments to execute the plans, he said.

Cuomo's plan also includes several pieces of legislation he signed Tuesday, including closing a loophole that allowed people with active warrants to buy a gun and preventing police officers with misconduct from moving from one police department to another.

He declared a "border war" against guns coming to New York from other states. Around 74 percent of New York crimes involve a gun purchased out of state, he said.

“We know where they come from, they’re coming from the south and we’re going to declare a border war to stop it,” Cuomo said.

To read more details about Cuomo's proposal click here.