September 3, 2022
Not Gun City. Times Square and the surrounding blocks are now a gun-free zone.
“VIOLATION OF THIS PROHIBITION IS A FELONY.”
The Mayor’s Press Office issued a news release yesterday with remarks by City and State Officials, some of which appear below:
“We will be posting signage at every entrance into Times Square informing those traveling through that the area is a gun-free zone and that licensed gun carriers and others may not enter with a gun unless otherwise specially authorized by law. As Mayor of New York City and a former police officer, my top priority will always be the safety of all 8.8 million people who call this city home, so while the Supreme Court decision may have opened an additional river feeding the sea of gun violence, we are doing everything we can to dam it and keep New York the safest big city in America.”
~Mayor Adams.
“In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down New York’s century-old concealed carry law, we took swift and thoughtful action to keep New Yorkers safe. I refuse to surrender my right as Governor to protect New Yorkers from gun violence or any other form of harm. In New York state, we will continue leading the way forward and implementing common sense gun safety legislation.”
~New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
“The NYPD’s focus on detecting and interdicting illegal guns — and arresting those who unlawfully possess them — remains a cornerstone of our continuing fight to eradicate gun violence.”
~New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell.
On July 1, 2022, New York state enacted Chapter 371 of the Laws of 2022 in response to the limitations set forth under the Bruen decision. The state law revises specific eligibility requirements to the concealed carry licensing process and restricts the carrying of concealed weapons in a specified list of “sensitive locations.” It also enhances safe storage requirements and background check coordination, as well as amends the state’s existing body armor purchase ban to include hard body armor.
“Gun safety and gun violence preventive measures are critical to helping keep New York City families and visitors to our city safe.”
~U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat.
“The Mayor will ensure that everyone knows where our gun-free zones are, from schools to subways to Times Square. In a year where there have already been 1,000 shootings, including one last week in my district that left a man in critical condition, this preemptive action will keep firearms out of sensitive areas and stop gun violence before it starts.”
~New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar.
“When the Supreme Court sided with the NRA’s New York chapter to weaken gun safety laws, the state legislature stepped up and passed a new law to address crime in New York.”
~New York State Assemblymember Manny de los Santos, MSW.
“While the Supreme Court works to make it harder to keep guns under control, Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature are taking steps to protect New Yorkers in sensitive areas of our city.”
~Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.
“The Supreme Court decision overturning our state’s long-standing concealed carry regulations was horribly misguided and deeply undermines our efforts to combat the scourge of gun violence, which has stolen precious lives and ripped apart grieving families for far too long.”
~Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.
Photos: Temporary signs posted on 8th Avenue.
