Majority of Gun Possession Criminals in NYC are Free: “Arrested with a Gun, out on the Street”

The majority of gun possession criminals in NYC are free. New York City released more than 80% of its gun-toting crooks, arrested for gun possession this year, back out into society, said Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday.

During a press conference on bail reform and recidivism, he said, “When when it comes to guns, this year, 2,386 people were arrested with a gun. Of those, approximately 1,921 are out on the street.”

He continued, “Arrested with a gun, out on the street.”

“Gun arrests in custody: 19.5%. Out of custody: over 80%,” explained the mayor. “How do you take a gun law seriously when the overwhelming numbers are back on the streets after carrying a gun?”

Adams also discussed the number of gun suspects who are repeat offenders.

“This year, 165 people were arrested with a second gun charge,” he said. “Of those, 82 — out on the street. Not one arrest but two gun arrests — back out on the street.”

Adams did not specify bail situations, such as how many have been bonded out of jail or had been released with no bond.

Under New York law, all gun-possession charges are eligible for bail. The law gives lenient conditions to ensure the defendants return to court.

Before the state’s contentious bail reform law took effect in 2019, Adam said, “we arrested 80 people for a gun crime who had an open gun arrest,”

Adams said that the number has, risen thrice with 259 people in 2021.

The number of people arrested on shootings with pending gun possession charges in 2019 was 20. Last year the number had risen to 77, said the mayor.

NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri said, at One Police Plaza, on Wednesday’s news conference, “We like to talk about credible messengers when we work with our social service providers … to deliver the message to the crew member about stop the violence.

“The credible messenger, today in New York City, is the crew member that was arrested with a gun yesterday, that’s out today, that’s telling that crew, ‘Well, look at me, I can carry a gun in New York City.’”  

716 people who were suspected of committing 30% of the roughly 2,400 shootings since 2021 are under investigation by the NYPD, Lipetri said.

“Of those individuals, 54%, almost 385, today have an open felony,” he said.