HV Reaction Mixed To NY Disaster Emergency On Gun Violence

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo's announcement Tuesday issuing an executive order declaring gun violence a disaster emergency — to stem the tide of "carnage" — drew mixed reactions.

A Hudson Valley gunshop owner said the effort seemed to be aimed at illegal firearms and wouldn't affect him and his customers, but many Republican politicians attacked the plan.

Cuomo, speaking from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the pandemic exposed a low tide of ugliness, including racial disparity that left Black and brown New Yorkers hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus physically and economically — as well as by the uptick in gun violence.

"We've gone from one epidemic to another," Cuomo said. Today, he added, more people are dying statewide from gun violence than COVID-19. Over the July 4 weekend, 51 people were shot in New York, while 13 died of COVID-19, he said.

The seven-step plan includes treating gun violence as a public health emergency; targeting hot spots with data; fostering positive engagement with at-risk youth; breaking the cycle of escalating violence; getting illegal guns off the street; removing them from the hands of dangerous people; and rebuilding police and community relationships, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said a main focus needs to be on eradicating gang activity — 50 percent of homicides and 55 percent of non-fatal shootings are associated with gangs.

"We want to do with gun violence what we did with COVID, with the same level of attention," he said.

The political backlash was swift. Many New York Republicans said the solution to gun violence is keeping poor arrested people in jail before trial and harsher penalties for lawbreaking.

"Andrew Cuomo and the democrats in Albany have spent the past 4 years dismantling our criminal justice system, undermining public safety and even threatening the well-being of alleged assailants," said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. "To now blame the increase in violence on anyone but themselves is absurd and dishonest. Andrew Cuomo propagated violence and now declares a state of emergency. They need to take a serious look at the polices, practices and rhetoric that have taken too many lives and made us less safe."

Two Republicans hoping to unseat Cuomo in 2022 also attacked the governor's record.

"Cuomo’s 11-yr reign as governor is the real disaster. If he was serious about rising crime and gun violence, he’d repeal the disastrous 'no cash bail' law, fire his parole board and increase penalties for those who use guns in the commission of crimes," Rob Astorino, former Westchester County Executive, said on Facebook. "But he’s not really serious and all he’ll end up doing is go after law-abiding gun owners. Again. As governor, I’ll defend the 2nd Amendment and go after the real causes of crime. And criminals."

Others reacted positively.

"In 2005, Congress took unprecedented action to usurp states’ rights and give gun manufacturers and distributors blanket immunity for gun violence perpetrated as a direct result of their marketing and distribution of firearms," New York Attorney General Letitia James said. "Plain and simple, this was federal overreach to protect the gun industry in every way possible."

Giffords, the national gun violence prevention group led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt, lauded New York for a groundbreaking step that could lead to firearm manufacturers being held legally liable for harm caused by their weapons.

In Putnam County, Edward Ryan of Precision Armory said he didn't think New York's new plan would affect responsible gunshops and responsible gun owners. Ryan pointed out that Cuomo said he's going to target communities where lots of gun violence is committed and firearms that are used for crimes.

"A lot of this gun violence is with illegal firearms that have been brought from down South up here," he noted.

Ryan, who has been in business since 1972, also noted that the legal gun business has been thriving the last 16 months, what with the pandemic, the riots, the election and the Democrats' victory in the presidential race.

Patch Editor Lisa Finn contributed to this report.