ALBANY, N.Y. — Law enforcement officials and representatives from nine northeastern states gathered Wednesday near Albany to discuss violence, crime and the spread of illegal guns.
Gov. Hochul hosted the first meeting of the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns at the New York State Intelligence Center in East Greenbush following a wave of high-profile shootings, including a Harlem incident that left two NYPD officers dead.
“We have a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight the scourge of illegal guns on our street,” the governor said ahead of the sit-down. “Too many lives have been lost because of illegal firearms that should never have been on our streets.
“By convening law enforcement officials from across the region, we can share intelligence and strategies that stem the flow of illegal guns and keep New Yorkers safe,” she added.
Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin joined Hochul and representatives from the New York State Police, the NYPD, the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and other law enforcement agencies from New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Mayor Adams joined a pre-meeting press conference virtually.
According to the governor, the task force will focus on setting up information-sharing systems and finding ways to share intelligence and tactics while partnering with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in different states and regions.
“What we have to focus on is real-time gathering of intelligence. Not wait a couple of days, not wait until a lab is finished analyzing, real-time, immediate response,” Hochul said.
The governor also announced the appointment of Calliana Thomas as the director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
The new office will be a subsidiary of the Department of Health’s Center for Community Health. It will work with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and other agencies to “coordinate efforts and direct resources to existing and emerging gun violence hot spots.”
Hochul also highlighted several of her budget proposals to tackle gun violence, including nearly $9 million in funding for the New York State Police to hire new recruits, gun crime tracing analysts, social media analysts and computer crime experts.
The governor has also called for nearly $4 million to invest in equipment and software for a computer and cyber crimes unit within the State Police.
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