More than 80% of pistol-packing perps were put back on the streets after getting busted for gun possession in New York City this year, Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday.
“When it comes to guns, this year, 2,386 people were arrested with a gun. Of those, approximately 1,921 are out on the street,” Adams said during a news conference on bail reform and recidivism.
“Arrested with a gun, out on the street.”
Adams added: “Gun arrests in custody: 19.5%. Out of custody: over 80%.”
“How do you take a gun law seriously when the overwhelming numbers are back on the streets after carrying a gun?” I have asked.
Adams also highlighted the number of gun suspects who’ve been re-arrested — and re-released.
“This year, 165 people were arrested with a second gun charge,” he said.
“Of those, 82 — out on the street. Not one arrest but two gun arrests — back out on the street,” he smoked.
Adams didn’t specify how many defendants were released without bail or how many posted bail to get sprung.
All gun-possession charges are eligible for bail under New York law, which requires judges to impose the least restrictive conditions necessary to ensure defendants return to court.
In 2019, the year before the state’s controversial bail reform law took effect, “we arrested 80 people for a gun crime who had an open gun arrest,” Adams said.
In 2021, he said, “the number was 259” — more than three times as many.
Adams also said that in 2019, 20 people arrested in shootings already had pending gun-possession charges but that last year, the number spiked nearly fourfold, to 77.
Also during Wednesday’s news conference at One Police Plaza, NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri said, “We like to talk about credible messengers when we work with our social service providers … to deliver the message to the crew member about stop the violence. ”
But Lipetri said that “the credible messenger today in New York City is the crew member that was arrested with a gun yesterday, that’s out today, that’s telling that crew, ‘Well, look at me, I can carry a gun in New York City .’”
Lipetri said the NYPD was investigating 716 suspected of committing 30% of the roughly 2,400 shootings that have taken place since 2021.
“Of those individuals, 54% — almost 385 — today have an open felony,” he said.
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