Mayor Eric Adams joined Governor Kathy Hochul and a wide array of elected officials and city agency leaders on Monday to unveil “A Blueprint for Community Safety,” something Hizzoner hailed would combat gun violence across the five boroughs.
At City Hall on July 31, Mayor Adams continued to bang the drum of public safety, charging that his administration has helped lower the rate of homicides and shootings in the Big Apple. Adams said he is looking to build upon this through what he called holistic and preventive measures with the release of the City Gun Violence Prevention Task Force “A Blueprint for Community Safety.”
The 51-page document details and recommends ways to prevent New Yorkers — especially in low-income, at-risk communities — from becoming victims of gun violence or from becoming the perpetrators themselves.
“We’re not just talking about it; we’re spending about it. We are going to allocate $481 million to this plan that will double down on public safety efforts,” Adams said. “We’re going to activate every level of city government because it’s a holistic approach and we’re going to prioritize prevention-based approaches to public safety.”
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was founded last summer and is made up of multi-agency partners that look to make a meaningful impact when it comes to preventing shootings. Over the course of a year putting the report together, the blueprint looks to take a multifaceted approach that could curb gun violence, including everything from local relationships with police to mental health services and housing security.
The blueprint focuses largely on community engagement, housing and career opportunities.
There are seven strategies the task force will utilize to bolster engagement, including an early intervention program for young people, where $118.3 million will be allocated to groups that provide mentorship to help prevent youth from gun violence.
The city will also allocate $57.5 million to pay for improvements to public housing, as well as increase access to transitional, supportive and permanent housing. The blueprint also calls for $8.64 million to be allocated toward community vitality, which will be invested in public spaces such as open greenspace for recreation, community centers, parks, and more.
A large portion of the funds will be allocated for employment and entrepreneurship. The city will pay $118.5 million to provide job training that gets youth on a positive path and well-paying jobs. The blueprint also includes $106.7 million for “trauma-informed care,” providing mental health resources and crisis response for those undergoing mental health illness episodes.
The city will also allocate $2.6 million for community and police relations, with the aim of bolstering the relationship between the community and police through neighborhood safety initiatives.
Governor Hochul welcomed the announcement, stating that she had worked hard to collaborate with the city to ensure public safety in the Big Apple. Hochul also took a swipe at the previous administrations for failing to work together.
“This is what a strong, healthy, productive relationship between the State of New York and the City of New York looks like if you’ve not seen it before. United together in a common cause to eradicate crime and violence and pain from communities,” Hochul said.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also acknowledged the partnership.
“I want folks know how dope this is. You have city and state government standing together on the same page fighting gun violence. It doesn’t happen all the time,” Williams said. “So, we got to celebrate when it does because many of us have been asking for this for a very, very long time.”
