Gun violence spiked shortly after the coronavirus hit New York last year, jumping by 75 percent or more in several of the state's largest cities. Although the virus has been on the decline in recent months, the number of gunshots has increased.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new state of emergency on gun violence on Tuesday, pledging almost $139 million to reverse the state's increasing rate of shootings and killings. New York officials will be able to swiftly organize resources and give funds for community-led efforts to prevent and respond to shootings as a result of the emergency disaster declaration, which the governor claims are the first by a state to combat gun violence.

New York's state of emergency on gun violence

Gun violence, according to the governor, is a civil rights issue that disproportionately affects poverty-stricken areas, Black and Latino communities, whose youths are three to ten times more likely to be victims of gun violence than the whites. However, the governor stated that the matter is critical for all New Yorkers since the state would not be able to recover from the pandemic until it is addressed.

"People are not coming back to this city, they're not coming back to any city, until they know they are safe," Cuomo said at a news conference at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.

Local police and elected officials are typically in charge of dealing with gun violence. However, the governor stated that the state had no choice but to intervene to address the violence that is now causing more deaths than the coronavirus. Over the Fourth of July weekend, 51 individuals were shot across New York State, compared to 13 people who died from Covid-19, he added.

Cuomo also stated that the order will make additional money and initiatives accessible to aid in the prevention of gun violence. He labeled gun violence a "public health emergency" and announced that a new Office of Gun Violence Prevention would be established inside the Department of Health, as per Fox News.

The office will have to work with social services, prisons, police, and other agencies. A special police unit will be established to combat the trafficking of firearms from other states.

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Cuomo urged New York to lead the movement against gun violence

Cuomo spoke at the end of a violent July 4 weekend that saw over 400 gunshots throughout the country. According to the Gun Violence Archive's data, at least 150 people died. The governor stated that New York should be a national leader in the movement against gun violence.

New York has some of the tightest gun regulations in the country, yet it's simple to drive to neighboring Pennsylvania and New Jersey and acquire guns there. Cuomo revealed specific measures targeted at reducing the number of shootings that have plagued New York City since the pandemic broke out in the spring of last year.

He told The New York Times that illegal guns are to blame for the overwhelming violence in New York streets, including police killings, and now it is the first state in the US to end gun violence.

In 2020, homicides increased by 30% in the country's biggest cities, prompting Republicans to accuse Democratic authorities of carelessness. On June 23, President Joe Biden proposed legislation to restrict the flow of firearms, but a divided Congress will find it harder for Democrats to pass legislation, Daily Mail reported.

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