Crime & Safety

Bloomberg: 90 Percent of Illegal Guns From Out-of-State

Bloomberg, Ray Kelly detail gun pipeline into NYC.

A whopping 90 percent of the illegal guns used to commit crimes in New York City came from outside New York State in 2011, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Wednesday morning.

Standing with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Bloomberg revealed the most recent tracking data as part of a call to increase gun safety regulations at the Federal level.

"Now 90 percent of guns used in crimes here came from out-of-state and that means — in addition to our tough enforcement efforts inside the five boroughs — we have to pay attention to gun laws outside of the city," Bloomberg said. "The reality is laws in states across the nation and in Washington, D.C. have a real impact on the safety of New Yorkers."

Commissioner Ray Kelly said that while the NYPD has seen a recent reduction in violent gun crime, many measures will just be dressing on an open wound until Congress passes stricter nationwide gun laws.

"There’s no shortage of weapons flowing north from the south through the iron pipeline," Kelly said. "The near-30 percent reduction in murders year-to-date from last year’s record low is evidence that we are doing something right. But we could do even better if Congress helped with meaningful gun control."

According to the data, Virginia supplied the most guns used in crimes in 2011, with 322. Other big offenders were North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania. See the image above for the top 10. 

In total, nearly 4,000 traceable guns were recovered related to crimes committed in 2011. 

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent much of his recent political career fighting gun crime, both in New York City and across the country. 

His advocacy group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is currently conducting a nationwide bus tour aimed at promoting gun safety regulations both at the state and federal levels. 


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