New York City shootings have surged by more than 358% in mid-June when compared with the same time period from 2019, the violence erupting alongside the NYPD’s disbanding of anti-crime units, numerous sources reported.
Across the five boroughs of New York, 74 people were wounded in the 55 shootings, a significant increase from the 12 shootings in 2019, NBC 4 reported.
Most of the shootings took place Saturday, primarily in the Bronx. Four shootings were in Brooklyn, two in Queens and one in Manhattan. Victims were in the range of ages from 16 to 47, and some were innocent bystanders shot by stray gunfire.
One man, who was shot in Brooklyn, died. (RELATED: 14 People Including Children Fatally Shot During Chicago’s Most Violent Weekend In 2020)
The surge comes as the NYPD disbands its anti-crime unit and reassigns roughly 600 plainclothes officers to new roles as the department tries to move away from targeted raids, Forbes reported.
The decision has created concerns that police will not be able to combat the city’s rise in crime.
“Shooting and murders are both climbing steadily upward, but our city leaders have decided that proactive policing isn’t a priority anymore,” Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association, a police union representing NYPD officers.
These aren’t stats,they’re people: 24 shooting victims on Sat, 7 more victims on Sun, a total of 74 NYers shot this past week. @NYCMayor & @NYCCouncil have decided that POs shouldn’t proactively get guns off the street. They will have to answer to familieshttps://t.co/OAe4dlvPbL
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) June 22, 2020
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday “we are not going back to the bad old days where there was too much gun violence in this city, nor are we going back to the bad old days” of poor police tactics in handling it, according to NBC 4.
The mayor also pledged additional investment in community anti-crime initiatives.
Although crime decreased in April compared to the same month in 2019, likely due to coronavirus restrictions, New York City experienced a 2.6% uptick in overall crimes for the first four months of 2020.
Murders, auto thefts, and burglaries increased in the first four months of 2020 when compared to 2019, NBC 4 reported.