New York, neighboring states announce agreement to share gun data

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul joined with governors from three other Northeastern states to announce a partnership to share crime gun data, a move they argue will help stem gun violence in their states.

Per a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the four states’ law enforcement agencies will share crime gun data to identify and arrest straw purchasers, dealers, traffickers and others.

The gun violence crisis has been with us a long time,” Hochul said during a Thursday virtual meeting. “… But what we have seen as a result of this pandemic is a spike in gun violence. And I’m sure there’ll be psychologists who study a long time from now for what that’s exactly attributed to. But we do know that the results are being seen in our streets and in our communities.”

The memorandum, which Hochul called “transformative,” remains in effect for five years and automatically renews annually. However, states may terminate the accord at any time with 30 days’ written notice.

“I believe this is going to give us and our law enforcement entities in each of our states the tools we need to be able to trace guns that are coming from other states, to understand when a crime has been committed, we want to share information with our neighboring state if someone’s on the run,” Hochul said. “Where are the guns coming from, how are they getting on our streets and why there is such a disproportionate impact of young people, particularly in communities of color who are … becoming the victims of gun violence?”

Violent crime nationwide has surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to FBI data, violent crime nationwide in 2020 increased 5.6% from 2019, while murders and nonnegligent manslaughters increased 29.4%.

“Our multi-state approach reaffirms our collective commitment and shared goal of ending gun violence in our communities and enhancing public safety throughout our region,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in an announcement.

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