Crime & Safety
NYC Violence Spike Persists As De Blasio Defends Crime Efforts
Mayor Bill de Blasio called for courts to reopen and support for community anti-violence efforts after Sunday saw 15 shootings citywide.
NEW YORK CITY — Fifteen shootings, seven of which were fatal, on Sunday. A 200 percent spike in gun violence from this point last year. Growing concern over New York City's efforts to stem the violence.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday again held his daily briefing against a backdrop of violence. He referred to a "perfect storm" of circumstances — the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing dislocation and unemployment — that he said helped fuel the violence.
Courts largely remaining closed amid the outbreak has also let violent criminals roam free, de Blasio said. He held a letter aloft that called for them to reopen.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"We owe it to the people in our communities," he said.
New York City had 77 people fall victim to gun violence in the past week, according to NYPD crime statistics. That's a 208 percent spike from this point last year.
Find out what's happening in New York Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The spike persists despite a combination of community anti-violence efforts, targeted police deployments and other forms of outreach that de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea embarked upon.
De Blasio faced repeated tough questions over the violent crime spike. A Bloomberg reporter, for example, asked if Cure Violence efforts are so important then why is the city's $39 million funding of it so minuscule?
It takes time for grassroots programs like that to grow, de Blasio said.
"We've seen some incredible success stories... over the years and now we see this movement coming forward in this new situation to find solutions," he said. "No question in my mind that this is part of the solution overall."
Shea said the violence spike is tied to the court system's slowdown. There are 2,100 gun cases open in which the suspects remain walking on the street next to everyday New Yorkers, he said.
"It is indisputable," he said.
The number of shootings on Sunday remains "unacceptable," but police are steadily making efforts against violence, Shea said. He said officers last week closed 11 separate murder cases from recent weeks, along with 15 other shootings.
Gun arrests are also ticking up, he said.
"I think all of this is a start," he said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
