In Wake Of Continued Gun Violence, Prominent Members Of Black Community Call On NYPD To Bring Back Anti-Crime Unit
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- After another tragic weekend of gun violence, including the death of a 1-year-old, two members of the Black community called on the NYPD to bring back the recently disbanded Anti-Crime Unit to help get guns off the street.
CBS2 political reporter Marcia Kramer has more on the story.
WEB EXTRA: Tracking Shootings In New York City
It was a dramatic moment -- Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams holding up a pair of baby shoes Monday after a 1-year-old became the latest victim of gun violence, caught in the crossfire at a family barbecue just hours before.
"Babies are not supposed to be wearing these in a coffin," Adams said.
PROTESTS AND PAIN
- CBS2's Maurice DuBois, Documentary Filmmaker Marshall Curry Discuss Where The Conversation About Race Goes From Here
- Public Advocate Jumaane Williams On What's Next With Race In America
- Writer David Simon, Who Created The Wire, On Policing In America
- Having The Difficult But Important Conversation About Race
- How To Be A Part Of Making Change Beyond Protesting
- Schomburg Center Releases 'Black Liberation Reading List'
- Child Psychologist On Talking About Race & Activism
- Complete CBS2 Coverage
- More From Minneapolis
Adams, a former cop, became the second member of the African-American community to call on the NYPD to stop the violence by re-instituting the Anti-Crime Unit -- undercover cops whose job was to get guns off the street. The unit was disbanded during the anti-cop protest that shook the city.
"I think that a total elimination is something we need to reevaluate," said Adams. "Right now, bad guys are saying if you don't see a blue and white you can do whatever you want."
Community activist Tony Herbert agrees.
"The guns keep going off and now we have a 1-year-old and the blood is on the hands of the mayor and the state Legislature," said Herbert.
Mayor Bill de Blasio decried the shootings.
"This is not anything we can allow in our city. It is heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking for so many reasons and begins with the fact that there are just so many guns out there and that is a New York tragedy," de Blasio said.
But the mayor did not propose any new solutions to ending the gun violence. This, as shootings for the week went up 277%, 49 compared to 13 in 2019. The number of victims is up 253%, 60 compared to 17 in 2019.
John Jay College professor Joe Giaclone, a former cop, said the city has been eroding the ability of the cops to get guns off the street for years. The latest, the disbanding of the Anti-Crime Unit.
"The gun police are no longer out there," said Giaclone. "The criminals are opportunists. You know that."
All this comes as the latest NYPD statistics show a huge drop in gun arrests during the last week.