The New York Police Department revealed that it has removed over 3,200 illegal guns from the streets this year, noting that the first seven months saw the lowest recorded numbers of homicides, shootings, and shooting victims since record-keeping began.
On 12 August 2026, Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), announced that NYPD officers have confiscated approximately 3,200 illegal firearms from city streets during the first seven months of 2026. She stated that during this period, New York City experienced record lows in homicides, shootings, and shooting victims, while overall serious crime dropped nearly 7% citywide. This makes it the safest first seven months on record since data collection started.
She also noted that in public housing areas, homicides, shootings, shooting victims, and robberies have reached their lowest levels since data collection began. This success is attributed to police strategies focusing on deploying officers to the most critical locations and times, identifying individuals and groups responsible for violence, and removing guns from circulation before they can be used in crimes.
Meanwhile, Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, said that every illegal gun on the streets has the potential to destroy families, harm communities, and change lives forever. She emphasized that removing over 3,000 firearms from circulation reduces the chances of these weapons being used in violent acts.
Source: AP