MTA Spreads Word on New Gun Law
Ozzie Cruz: I'm Ozzie Cruz, and you're listening to TransitTrax, New York City Transit's podcast service.
(Background audio)
Ozzie Cruz: Thanks to the hard work of New York City Police Department's Transit Bureau, criminals don't have an easy go of it underground. Crime on the subways is at its lowest levels in decades. Still, crimes do occur. But the city has a new law and message for criminals who carry illegal handguns, whether it's in the street or subway.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: If you are convicted of carrying a loaded handgun, you will now serve a minimum of 3 1/2 years behind bars. No exceptions, and sentences could be as long as 8 years. No other state has stricter penalties.
Ozzie Cruz: And the Mayor says those stricter penalties are needed.
Mayor Bloomberg: Here in New York City, even though we have reduced crime by more than 20 percent over the last 5 years driving it down to a 40-year low, more than 300 people were killed with illegal guns last year. And the fact that the city's murder rate has climbed this year means that our efforts to combat illegal guns are more important than ever.
Ozzie Cruz: As of late December, gun arrests were up 14 percent city-wide in 2006. In the subway, gun confiscations were up 39 percent for the same period compared to 2005. Nine out of 10 of those guns come from out of state according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Ray Kelly, NYPD Police Commissioner: Even though crime is down dramatically in the city to record lows, over 60 percent of the homicides that occur here in New York are the result of illegal handguns.
Ozzie Cruz: To help the City of New York spread the word about the new law, New York City Transit developed a Public Service campaign for the subway. The message is simple: illegal possession of a loaded gun now carries a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison. Period. End of story. The ads are posted in more than 2,000 subway cars - a third of the subway fleet. New York City Transit President Lawrence Reuter says the agency is happy to lend its space to the campaign.
The Public Service Announcements are just a part of a wider campaign by the city to crack down on illegal gun sales - a crackdown that has yielded agreements with six out-of-state gun dealers to allow a monitor to keep an eye on their sales.
Mayor Bloomberg: This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. This
is about law enforcement, plain and simple, and it's about keeping guns out of
the hands of criminals. We're not interested in putting these dealers out of
business, instead we invite them to join the settlement we have with the other
dealers and become part of the solution. The consequences of carrying an illegal
gun are very severe. The risks are just too high, and we want to make sure that
all new Yorkers understand this loud and clear.
Ozzie Cruz: The Public Service campaign will be running on the subways
throughout the winter.
[THIS AUDIO IS MISSING FROM THE PODCAST]
For Transit Trax, I'm Ozzie Cruz. Thanks for listening, and thanks for riding with
New York City Transit.
Back to Transittrax Main Page
Ozzie Cruz: I'm Ozzie Cruz, and you're listening to TransitTrax, New York City Transit's podcast service.
(Background audio)
Ozzie Cruz: Thanks to the hard work of New York City Police Department's Transit Bureau, criminals don't have an easy go of it underground. Crime on the subways is at its lowest levels in decades. Still, crimes do occur. But the city has a new law and message for criminals who carry illegal handguns, whether it's in the street or subway.
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: If you are convicted of carrying a loaded handgun, you will now serve a minimum of 3 1/2 years behind bars. No exceptions, and sentences could be as long as 8 years. No other state has stricter penalties.
Ozzie Cruz: And the Mayor says those stricter penalties are needed.
Mayor Bloomberg: Here in New York City, even though we have reduced crime by more than 20 percent over the last 5 years driving it down to a 40-year low, more than 300 people were killed with illegal guns last year. And the fact that the city's murder rate has climbed this year means that our efforts to combat illegal guns are more important than ever.
Ozzie Cruz: As of late December, gun arrests were up 14 percent city-wide in 2006. In the subway, gun confiscations were up 39 percent for the same period compared to 2005. Nine out of 10 of those guns come from out of state according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Ray Kelly, NYPD Police Commissioner: Even though crime is down dramatically in the city to record lows, over 60 percent of the homicides that occur here in New York are the result of illegal handguns.
Ozzie Cruz: To help the City of New York spread the word about the new law, New York City Transit developed a Public Service campaign for the subway. The message is simple: illegal possession of a loaded gun now carries a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison. Period. End of story. The ads are posted in more than 2,000 subway cars - a third of the subway fleet. New York City Transit President Lawrence Reuter says the agency is happy to lend its space to the campaign.
The Public Service Announcements are just a part of a wider campaign by the city to crack down on illegal gun sales - a crackdown that has yielded agreements with six out-of-state gun dealers to allow a monitor to keep an eye on their sales.
Mayor Bloomberg: This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment. This
is about law enforcement, plain and simple, and it's about keeping guns out of
the hands of criminals. We're not interested in putting these dealers out of
business, instead we invite them to join the settlement we have with the other
dealers and become part of the solution. The consequences of carrying an illegal
gun are very severe. The risks are just too high, and we want to make sure that
all new Yorkers understand this loud and clear.
Ozzie Cruz: The Public Service campaign will be running on the subways
throughout the winter.
[THIS AUDIO IS MISSING FROM THE PODCAST]
For Transit Trax, I'm Ozzie Cruz. Thanks for listening, and thanks for riding with
New York City Transit.
Back to Transittrax Main Page
