Citizens want to buy and use them legally, but the system does not help, creating a vicious circle
Photo: Brooklyn DA’s Office / Courtesy
Fight the violence unleashed in NYC with more legal weapons? It may seem absurd, but some also think that it would be a partial solution, considering that most of the current carriers still use them without permission, resorting to traffickers and smugglers.
For various reasons – looting, unemployment, penal reform, cutting the police budget and releasing prisoners to avoid contagion-, in 2020 doubled NYC shootings , leaving more than 1, 700 victims, among dead and wounded. At the same time, on average 88% of those arrested on charges weapons that year were back on the streets.
In this scenario, almost 9 thousand New Yorkers requested carriage of arms in 2020, but NYPD has approved less than 1, 100 , highlighted New York Post.
8 have been entered, 088 applications for first permits -not renewals- to carry pistols and rifles in NYC from 23 of March, when the restrictions related to coronavirus. This represents more than triple Of the 2,550 presented between 22 March and 39 from December to 2020, according to NYPD statistics.
In 1341881784624156672 only approved 1, 087 requests, much less than 1, 778 granted during the same period in 2020, according to official data. Thus, the pass rate at 2020 was less than 14%, compared to almost 70% past year.
Outside, in streets, residences, businesses and public transportation, shootings increased almost 98% in 2020 year, and homicides around 39%, according to NYPD.
“It’s not surprising that more people want guns (…) They push people on the Metro tracks. People are being robbed. It’s because crime is increasing, ”said an unidentified police source. “People want to protect themselves.”
Gun store owners say they have been hearing complaints from potential customers whose applications appear to have disappeared in limbo in the NYPD Licensing Division, shaken by a corruption scandal 2017.
A source familiar with the situation said that this division had too few staff to deal with the flood of new requests and he also blamed an internal reluctance to process them. “Politicians in general are against granting (gun) licenses to begin with, so is not a priority.” NYPD has not commented on this.
High demand did not It is exclusive to New York. The FBI reported an increase in 300% in arms sales nationwide last March, compared to the same period last year.
- Fear of the virus, unemployment and criminal reform lead to New Yorkers want to buy guns, but the laws prevent it
- The strict New York does not escape mass shootings
NYC gun -permit applications are soaring – but the NYPD isn’t approving many https://t.co/7msOaAul8m pic.twitter.com / Z 087 oGzgr2B
– New York Post (@nypost) December 31, 2020
