Law enforcement officials and representatives from nine northeastern states met Wednesday in New York to lay out a plan against violence, crime and gun trafficking.
Governor Kathy Hochul hosted the first meeting of the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Weapons at the New York State Intelligence Center in East Greenbush, near Albany, following a spate of high-profile shootings, including the incident in Harlem that led to the deaths of two Hispanic officers.
“We have a moral obligation to do everything possible to combat the scourge of illegal weapons on our streets,” the president said before the meeting. “Too many lives have been lost to illegal firearms that should never have been on our streets By convening law enforcement officials from across the region, we can share intelligence and strategies that stem the flow of illegal weapons and keep New Yorkers safe,” he added.
Also participating in the meeting were Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin and representatives from the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other New York law enforcement agencies. New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. Mayor Adams virtually joined the pre-meeting press conference.
According to the governor, the task force will focus on establishing information, intelligence and tactical sharing systems while collaborating with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in different states and regions.
“What we have to focus on is real-time intelligence gathering. Don’t wait a couple of days, don’t wait until a lab finishes analyzing, in real time, immediate response,” Hochul said.
The Governor also announced the appointment of Calliana Thomas as Director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
The new office will be a subsidiary of the Health Department’s Community Health Center. It will work with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and other agencies to “coordinate efforts and direct resources to existing and emerging gun violence hotspots.”
Hochul also highlighted several of his budget proposals to address gun violence, including nearly $9 million in funding for the New York State Police to hire new recruits, gun crime tracking analysts, social media analysts and cybercrime experts. .
The governor has also requested nearly $4 million to invest in equipment and software for a computer and cybercrime unit within the state police.
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