Res 0121-2014

By Council Members Williams, Chin, Constantinides, Dickens, Espinal, Gibson, Lander, Levine, Torres, Van Bramer, Rosenthal, Mendez, Koslowitz, Cumbo, Cornegy, King, Miller, Greenfield and Mealy Whereas, Gun violence is a national and local problem affecting many Americans and New Yorkers on a daily basis; and Whereas, Numerous tragedies have occurred over the past few years demonstrating how serious of a problem gun violence can be; and Whereas, Often national attention is drawn only to large scale tragedies, yet there are gun violence injuries occurring on a daily basis throughout many American cities; and Whereas, In New York City in particular, 57% of all murders in 2012 were attributed to gun violence; and Whereas, Moreover there were nearly 1,375 shooting incidents, where a person was injured either fatally or non-fatally, in New York City in 2012; and Whereas, In New York City, gun violence is a problem that disproportionately impacts certain neighborhoods and populations; and Whereas, For example, approximately half of all shooting incidents in 2012 occurred in only 10 of the City's 76 police precincts; and Whereas, Additionally, 64 percent of the murder victims in New York City in 2012 were African American; and Whereas, Of the African American males aged 16 to 21 who were murdered in 2012, 86% were killed by a gun; and Whereas, It is therefore clear that gun violence is a plague on our communities which must be stopped; Whereas, Furthermore, gun violence and the resulting injuries and murders typically increase substantially in the summer months; and Whereas, In 2011, there was an almost 120% increase in shooting incidents when comparing the first quarter of that year to the third quarter of that year, which encompasses the months of July and August; and Whereas, It is therefore necessary for the City of New York to join the efforts of New York State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and New York State Assembly Member Karim Camara to continue to increase public awareness about guns and the severity of their impact on our communities by recognizing every June as Gun Violence Awareness Month; and Whereas, Recognition of the month of June as Gun Violence Awareness Month by local and state officials will increase efforts to protect all New Yorkers, especially those who are disproportionately affected by such violence, by furthering the dialogue with our local, state and federal partners to help examine the causes of gun violence and create meaningful solutions in an effort to prevent the violence from peaking again in the summer; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York recognizes every June as Gun Violence Awareness Month in New York City. SA Res. 1743/2013 LS 456/2014 3/4/14