Wednesday 07 July 2021
Increase in gun violence
New York proclaims a “disaster emergency”
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In 2020 the number of homicides in the United States will skyrocket. Shootings become bloody everyday in cities like Chicago, New Orleans and New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo is sounding the alarm.
The US state of New York has declared a “disaster emergency” because of the increasing violence with firearms. “If you look at the current numbers, more people are now dying from gun violence and crime than from COVID,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday (local time).
Among other things, a special police unit to combat the trade in firearms is to be created. In addition, Cuomo wants to appoint a representative for the prevention of armed violence who is linked to the health authorities. He is supposed to act at the interface of social services, prisons, police forces and other authorities. In addition, the governor announced that it would invest millions in prevention programs. According to this, 76 million dollars alone should flow into the creation of jobs for young people.
Compared to other states, New York has very strict gun laws. However, it is easy to get guns in the neighboring states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Cuomo signed a new legal text on Tuesday to make it easier for civilians to file lawsuits against arms manufacturers and dealers. Weapons manufacturers are largely exempt from liability throughout the US. A second law, signed on Tuesday, aims to prevent wanted criminals from acquiring a weapon.
In New York, as in the rest of the United States, there had been a sharp rise in crime since last summer. In the country’s major cities, the number of homicides rose by 30 percent in 2020. President Joe Biden noted on June had made proposals to curb firearm violence. The opposition Republicans, however, accuse Biden of negligence in prosecution and block his plans in Congress.
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