#Gov. Cuomo denounces surge of shootings across NYC and state

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday denounced the surge of shootings across New York state, including in the Big Apple, saying more has to be done to beat back the rampant crime wave.

“You cannot dismiss these numbers. You cannot look at this reality and say it doesn’t exist because the reality is so clear,” Cuomo told reporters during a Manhattan press briefing as he pointed to how gun violence is soaring in New York City and other cities in the Empire State.

The governor gave a breakdown showing how shootings are up 60 percent in The Bronx, 102 percent in Brooklyn, 54 percent in Manhattan, 75 percent in Queens and 108 percent in Staten Island, while shootings with victims were up 240 percent in Albany, 66 percent in Buffalo, 54 percent in Rochester and 130 percent in Syracuse.

Year-to-date in the Big Apple, shootings are up 79 percent, Cuomo noted, explaining that recent data shows that more than 90 percent of the victims “are black and brown.”

“You want to talk about social justice? You want to talk about civil rights? You want to talk about social equity? How do you explain that?” Cuomo said in reference to the statistic. “It’s not just New York City. It’s all across the nation. It’s also upstate New York.”

Cuomo spoke of how enormous tensions between police and communities were “unleashed” after the May 25 cop killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis that sparked massive protests nationwide.

The governor also said that he issued a letter to 500 jurisdictions with police departments in New York state Monday, saying that it is “imperative” to address the “urgent crisis” regarding the tensions and “lack of trust” between communities and law enforcement.

The letter refers to Cuomo’s June 12 executive order requiring each local government in the state to adopt a policing reform plan by April 1, 2021.

“Restoring the relationship between the community and the police is in everyone’s best interest,” the letter reads.

Cuomo told reporters, “We have an issue and we have to address the issue. Very little has been done.”

Like the coronavirus pandemic, said Cuomo, the police reform issue is a “matter of life and death.”

“This state does not run from a crisis — it’s not what we do,” Cuomo said. “It’s not who we are, and we’re not going to deny that this is a crisis.”

He added, “What do we do in a crisis? Leaders lead and leaders act. Now is the time for leadership and action. Acknowledge the tensions, they’re real.”

“We have real issues,” Cuomo said.

Also on Monday, Cuomo announced new guidance for the state “Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative,” which was established by his June 12 executive order.

The guidance offers a framework and topics for consideration by local police departments, elected officials and citizens as governments develop their local plans for reform.