Adams has developed a massive plan to combat crime in New York: what will he do

Plagued by a wave of high-profile incidents of violence during his first three weeks in office, New York City Mayor Eric Adams laid out his ambitious plan to combat gun violence on January 24. From increasing the number of patrols to combating the influx of weapons in the city. From encouraging prosecutors to bringing gun charges earlier and creating jobs for high-risk residents, clarifies CNN. A cash reward of $3,5 will also be introduced for information about the illegal possession or trafficking of firearms, reports TASS.

The plan comes after the death of a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer in response to a domestic incident late last week. Five NYPD officers were shot and killed this month, according to police. Officer Jason Rivera was the first to die.

The plan would use the New York City Police Department for "targeted and accurate policing." It will focus on 30 sites where 80% of violence occurs. It will also expand the Violence Crisis Management System (CMS) to address the symptoms of gun violence.

“Since January 1, our employees have removed 350 illegal weapons from the street. Over 6000 weapons were confiscated last year,” Adams said.

On the New York City official website the complete plan of Adams is presented. “We need to pass a law requiring background checks on every gun sale. We must pass legislation to make gun trafficking a federal crime,” the mayor said.

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The plan also requires additional state and federal resources, the mayor said.

As previously mentioned Adams, he will bring more NYPD officers to the streets and reduce the workforce.

Expanding partnership between NYPD and State Police

Crime in New York hit historic lows in three decades before the numbers started to rise in 2020. This surge has been ongoing for the past two years and reflects what is being felt in major cities across the country. Despite the beginning of the year, this trend continued during the first three weeks of the year. By January 24, the city was seeing a 38% increase in serious crime compared to the same period last year.

To help address the issue, the mayor said he wants to expand the partnership between the NYPD and the state police, focusing on public transportation to stop the flow of illegal weapons in the city. Spot checks at places like the Port Authority and other bus and train stations will be critical to that effort, he said.

Additional resources for the Gun Violence Unit, an existing gun seizure unit, will help the police continue to seize illegal weapons and prosecute illegal arms traffickers, traffickers and sellers.

New technology will help the NYPD to identify suspects in illegal possession of weapons. Thus, one more tool for initiating cases against traffickers will be added. Deeper coordination with the FBI and other federal partners to track down arms dealers will be critical.

The new division will be up and running in a few weeks.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, has already revealed some of the details of his plan. On January 23, he said the city would "immediately" restore "a newer version of a modified plainclothes anti-tank unit", a move he supported during his campaign.

A new plainclothes unit of the NYPD will hit the streets in a few weeks.

Plainclothes police units have been criticized by some as an outdated police practice. In 2020, the New York City Police Department reassigned many of these officers. However, Adams, who took over in the new year, said his team "did the proper analysis and now we're going to apply it."

Adams spent the weekend emphasizing the need to combat rising crime and gun violence after 22-year-old NYPD officer Rivera was fatally shot in a domestic incident in Harlem on Jan. 21 evening.

Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, was also shot dead and was in "critical condition" as of January 23. He is expected to be transferred from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Medical Center on January 30 evening, the department said.

The suspect in the shooting, LaShawn McNeil, died on January 24, the NYPD said.

Employees will be trained

Rivera and Mora became the fourth and fifth NYPD officers to be shot dead since the start of the year, although NYPD officers were not the only victims of gun violence. An 11-month-old girl was shot in the face and caught in a crossfire in the Bronx. As a result of the shooting on January 19, she was wounded and is in critical condition.

Incoming NYPD Police Commissioner says Kichant Sewell asked the section chiefs to select candidates for a modified plainclothes anti-weapons unit. The unit's focus will be on eliminating illegal possession of weapons, and candidates will be required to undergo special training, an official said Sunday.

The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services, Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and Queens Defenders welcomed some of the planned measures. This included an increase in jobs, but criticized Mayor Adams's "emphasis on discredited punitive and surveillance-based strategies, including his call for more rollbacks to bail and disclosure reform, greater use of facial recognition, and the re-establishment of a historically racist police force." New York Crime Control.

"We call on the Legislature to reject the mayor's misguided proposals to rely on discredited punitive approaches and focus on investing in our communities," the statement said.

Plan to focus on the flow of weapons

"The bigger plan will focus on addressing 'the root causes you see crime in our city,'" Adams said.

Among them is the flow of weapons into the city, which officials took notice of after Friday's shooting. According to authorities, the suspect used a Glock 45 handgun stolen in Baltimore in 2017.

Also, New York Gov. Kathy Hokul announced on January 23 the first meeting of the "Interstate Task Force on Illegal Weapons." Its goal is to bring federal and state law enforcement officials across the region together to address the "critical problem of illegal possession and use of weapons."

More than 50 representatives from the New York State Police, the NYPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and nine northeastern states will meet on January 26. They will discuss the initiative, including "ways to share intelligence, tracking tools, strategies and tactics across jurisdictions."

Attention to mental health

Adams said that in addition to reintroducing plainclothes police units, the city will work with mental health professionals to respond to incidents in the subway system.

Adams made the announcement just over a week after the death of 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Guo. She died after being pushed onto the tracks of an oncoming train at the Times Square-42nd Street subway station. According to Commissioner Sewall, this was an "unprovoked" incident.

Police and mental health professionals will work together, Adams said. They "will eliminate the disorder that is clearly present in the subway system in the city." Together, these teams will be "more active," the mayor added.

Criminal prosecution of firearms in priority

The mayor asked five New York district attorneys to take a series of actions going forward. This will help curb gun violence and gun-related crime.

He also proposed a weekly meeting between all district attorneys, the NYPD commissioner, and the deputy mayor of public safety.

Adams wants the courts and Chief Justice to increase the number of judges involved in the state's gun violence initiative.

“We need every judge we can get on these cases to help us get through this huge backlog,” Adams said.

Job creation plans

Another element of Adams' plan is to create jobs for at-risk people by working with the state government and labor organizations to pass legislation. "It will allow the City to require those who do business with us to hire New Yorkers from targeted communities, ensuring residents have access to good work and apprenticeship opportunities."

"The Adams administration will also use the city's vast opportunities to create jobs for New Yorkers because the best antidote to crime is a career," the plan says.