Firearms ownership in New York City increased over the last year as the Big Apple struggles with a significant spike in crime. The news comes as the city has seen large increases in homicide, robbery and car theft since 2020.
Statistics from a recent poll found that almost a fifth of New Yorkers have purchased a firearm in the last year. The Siena poll reflected that 17% of city residents purchased guns during that period.
The news comes amid both the crime wave and a Supreme Court ruling last year that struck down the city’s restrictions on concealed carry permits.
Conservatives criticized the city’s gun laws as unnecessarily restrictive. New York had among the most stringent restrictions on both firearms purchases and ownership.
The city has also seen a sharp increase in the number of seemingly random attacks against both its Jewish and Asian American residents. Videos of the attacks on streets and subways have made it to national news broadcasts.
The increase in gun ownership also comes as one of the city’s boroughs has reported a more than doubling in the number of homicides. Staten Island’s homicide rate has spiked almost 130% so far in 2023.
Overall, the borough has also seen a sharp increase in every significant category so far this year. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) estimates that crime is up about 17% on the island.
One police precinct has recorded four murders so far this year despite having none last year.
The area’s increase in crime and resistance to migrant resettlement has reignited calls for secession from the rest of New York City.
Conservatives have criticized the state’s bail reform and the Raise the Age law, which increased the age for adult prosecution to 18.
The nation’s largest city has also seen a wave of protests against plans to house migrants across New York. More than 125,000 migrants have arrived in Gotham since last year.
Queens, New York City:
A baseball coach cancelled little league season – the field and elementary school is located directly from across an all male migrant tent facility that can house up to 3,000.
Residents shared their frustrations and concerns with the increase in crime and… pic.twitter.com/vxvOSkZvrg
— Rebecca Brannon (@RebsBrannon) September 9, 2023
City leaders describe the current situation as pushing New York toward its full capacity.