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Speaking at the New York State Police Troop G headquarters in Latham on Monday, March 4, Hochul said Capital Region cities participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative all saw the number of shootings with injuries drop in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The initiative provides tens of millions of dollars in state funding to local police departments to pay for equipment, overtime, and training meant to reduce shootings and homicides.
In Albany, shooting incidents with injuries decreased by 28 percent, while Schenectady was down five percent and Troy dropped by eight percent, Hochul’s office said.
The governor also attributed the drop in gun violence to New York’s so-called “red flag" laws, with which State Police seized more than 2,500 guns in 2023 by filing more than 1,300 Extreme Risk Orders of Protection.
Car thefts in the region are also down, according to Hochul’s office, dropping by 19 percent in Albany County, two percent in Rensselaer County, and 13 percent in Schenectady County.
She attributed the improvement to the state’s Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy, which provided police agencies with $50 million in funding for tools like license plate readers, camera systems, and computer-aided dispatch systems.
“Public safety is my top priority, and I've been laser focused on crime since taking office in 2021,” Hochul said.
“We've made significant progress keeping New Yorkers safe, as murder rates plummet and auto thefts decline, but our work is not over.
"I'm committed to working with the New York State Police and our partners in local law enforcement to fight crime and protect New Yorkers."
Nine months’ worth of index crime data for 2023 as reported by police agencies in the 57 counties outside of New York City can be viewed on the Division of Criminal Justice services website.
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