Albany, N.Y. (WBEN) - Gun violence in New York State is at an all-time low, according to data released by the Governor's Office on Thursday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed the new data Thursday in Albany that shows reported gun violence in New York State that is at its lowest point since the state started tracking this data in 2006.
Shooting incidents with injury declined 26% through September 2024, compared to the same nine-month period last year, as reported by the 28 police departments outside of New York City that participate in New York State's Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative.
A total of 170 fewer individuals were injured by gun violence in GIVE initiative communities, with significant decreases in shooting incidents with injury reported in cities like Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica and on Long Island.
"Public safety is my No. 1 priority, and New York is leading the nation with proven initiatives that are making communities safer," said Gov. Hochul during Thursday's announcement. "Our record investments in law enforcement and in critical programs like the GIVE initiative are making a real difference in every corner of our state, and my administration will continue fighting to keep New Yorkers safe."
Since taking office, Gov. Hochul has secured record-level funding for local law enforcement and district attorneys' offices, from $30 million during State Fiscal Year 2022 to $392 million in the current fiscal year. At the same time, the New York State Police budget has increased by 30%, allowing the agency to hire and train additional troopers, and significantly expand its support to local law enforcement agencies to address major crimes, gun violence and retail theft.
Overall crime outside of New York City has also declined.
The 57 counties outside of the five boroughs collectively reported a 9% decrease in index crime during the first five months of 2024, the most recent data available, when compared to the same time in 2023.
There are seven index crime categories that are used to gauge overall crime trends: Murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The most significant declines were reported in motor vehicle theft (-27%), followed by rape (-14%), and murder (-12%) when comparing Jan. 1 through May 31, 2024, to that five-month period last year.
