The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that there this June has seen the worst number of shootings in New York City since 1996.
More worryingly, some believe that this may be the new normal.
In an interview with the New York Post, NYPD official disclosed that there has been 125 shootings in NYC in the first three weeks of this month. The same official explained that it marks the worst three weeks since the June of 1996. That was when Rudy Giuliani was the mayor of the city.
It is noteworthy that overall crimes are still lower by 2.5% compared to last year. However, shootings, which have already outpaced the previous year, soared this month.
In the week from June 15th to June 21st, 53 shootings occurred in the Big Apple. It was the worst number for NYC since week of Independence Day of 2012, meaning that it has been the worst week since current mayor Bill de Blasio took over the helms.
However, this week’s numbers are even more extraordinary because there were no federal holidays, which is positively correlated with the number of shootings that take place.
The last non-holiday week that was worse than last week was back in 2005. Thus it is no surprise that Mayor de Blasio mentioned how gun violence has soared in his city. The New York Post reports that at least 24 people were shot in NYC over the weekend.
While city officials assured that they will not let gun violence to continue to grow, NYPD officers said that it is only a natural conclusion. The officers cited the weak anti-crime policies from the Mayor as one of the core reasons behind this growth in shootings.
One policeman referred to how this week was the worst in terms of shooting after de Blasio became the Mayor, and cynically remarked that the Mayor can no longer proclaim that NYC is one of the safest cities in the US.
Another cop warned that if this trend continues, de Blasio will leave behind a shameful legacy of increased crime while he was Mayor. NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea acknowledged that his department is facing a challenge, yet the course can still be corrected.
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