Points of view

Bronx pols fail on gun control

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It does not take a criminologist to conclude that the Bronx is bearing the brunt of an increase in violence involving the use of illegal firearms. Almost weekly, we hear devastating stories of families being ripped apart by bullets that maim and kill toddlers, teenagers and parents alike. The recent incidence of violent crime both here and in states such as Colorado and Wisconsin has spawned a gun rights supporters on one side and gun control lobbyists on the other. 

Violence in the outer boroughs of New York City is nothing new, but it appears to be on the rise. Add to the mix a tragic shooting in Midtown Manhattan (seemingly more shocking and unacceptable to most than the recurring Soundview and Flatbush shootings) and the issue has been thrust upon us all, making it hard to deny that gun violence is affecting the entire city in some way shape or form.

With respect to my native Bronx, the increase in violent crime has reached epidemic proportions. The public outcry has been virtually unmatched by local government here, which begs the following questions: Where is our leadership, and what are they planning on doing to curtail this violence? Not when are they going to take advantage of an opportunity to record a media sound bite decrying senseless violence? When are they going to actually do something?

Earlier this summer, a 4-year-old boy was shot and killed in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. Within hours, Assemblyman Eric Stevenson and state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. reversed their positions regarding the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy and suddenly lobbied for an increase  in the practice (“I am fully, fully totally supporting stop and frisk now,” said Mr. Diaz). 

This near instantaneous reversal on such a substantial issue appeared the result of helpless frustration. As such, it does not appear that the borough’s leadership is competently attacking the problem and their reluctance to engage in public discourse on the issue is glaring. Too many people have asked me, “When is someone in the Bronx going to step up and do something?”

Before any solution to this epidemic can be revealed, we are going to have to acknowledge that we are in a crisis.  Ideally, that acknowledgment would take place on the city, state and federal level. An intelligent and fact-based discussion must be had by our leadership, which should be charged with the duty of looking at the empirical evidence pertaining to crime and the effectiveness of law enforcement’s reaction. Third, a plan of attack must be coordinated based on the honest evaluation of that evidence, and an appropriate response fashioned and executed. This is nothing that specialized units in local law enforcement agencies are not doing behind closed doors — but the response must be more widespread and public given the severity of the problem, and elected officials in this borough should be able to convey to the community with confidence that they have an informed understanding of the issues. 

When the assemblyman and state senator do not wait for the smoke from the gun to clear before jumping to the conclusion that an increasingly aggressive stop-and-frisk policy is the answer, we should be concerned. 

In 2010, only 1.14 percent of all street encounters in New York City yielded the recovery of a weapon. Does that statistic belie the argument that aggressive stop-and-frisk policies are effective? 

The counterpoint: Advocates of stop-and-frisk might argue that a more aggressive tactic deters criminals from bringing weapons to the streets, and thus indirectly suppresses crime. Maybe that is true, in which case we need to ask if we are prepared to allow the city to engage in more aggressive frisk practices despite the fact that the federal courts have already found them to be constitutionally infirm.

If it is a successful tactic, then why is crime on the rise nonetheless? Pulling the lens back a bit, what role is the federal government going to play in regulating gun possession and the resulting violence that occurs on our streets? A majority of the semi-automatic devices that snatch lives away here were easily purchased in other states. Are we prepared to acknowledge that the problem begins beyond our borders when, recently, undercover officers involved in a government integrity operation were able to buy weapons in five different states using false identification without triggering any flags? If so, what are we going to do about it?

This is a debate we need to have so that we can constructively work toward the solution. I have yet to see a Bronx leader call on us to have this conversation.

Until we have had that conversation, NY1’s Bronx section (perhaps buried under a story about the Kingsbridge Armory) will contain a headline about the beautiful little toddler who was hit by a stray bullet, or the hard-working father who stumbled upon his son on the ground with a bullet in his head when he didn’t come home in time for dinner. It may be a crime for innocent people to die, but it is a tragedy for all of us not to do everything to stop it from happening. 

The Points of View column is open to all readers. Eric M. Arnone served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan DA’s office for ten years in the trial and homicide divisions and now works as a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer.

Eric M. Arnone, points of view, gun control, crime, illegal firearms,

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