NCJ Number
206148
Date Published
March 2004
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This paper describes some of the gun violence reduction strategies implemented by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Abstract
Crimes involving gun violence and trafficking of small arms are growing around the world. In the United States, despite a drop in crime rates since 1991, gun violence has been on the rise in the past few years. In 2002, 22,663 individuals died from gunshot wounds in the United States and more than 55,000 others were treated for non-fatal firearm injuries. In contrast to the national gun violence trends, New York City has shown a 7-percent decrease in shooting victims between 1999 and 2002, and another 3-percent decrease in 2003. The NYPD is a proven leader in fighting crime. This paper in intended to serve as a guide for law enforcement and public safety agencies by describing the gun violence reduction strategies adopted by the NYPD. These initiatives fall in three main categories: gun intelligence initiatives, collaboration between the NYPD and other agencies, and a data-driven approach to crime reduction programming. Operation Gun Shop, an anonymous tips program, is a gun intelligence initiative that currently offers a $1,000 reward to citizens who provide information leading to the arrest of persons in possession of illegal firearms. The program is administered through a local bank in order to guarantee anonymity. From April 2002 through December 2003, 1,234 tips were received that resulted in 757 arrests and the recovery of 455 illegal firearms. The Integrated Ballistics Imaging System and the Firearms Investigation Unit are similarly described and also fall under gun intelligence initiatives. Initiatives involving collaborative partnerships between the NYPD and other agencies include the Joint Firearms Task Force, Gun Court, and Triggerlock. Triggerlock is an effort involving Federal prosecutors and the NYPD, in which individuals with illegal firearms are charged in Federal courts which carry stiffer penalties. Operation Impact, is a data-driven approach to crime reduction that saturates high-crime areas with police officers. High-crime neighborhoods are targeted through the use of street-level crime data. A listing of further resources for gun violence reduction strategies is presented. Figure