New York City, a bastion of gun control, has reportedly been experiencing a sharp rise in stabbings and slashings over the past four years. Despite having some of the strictest gun control laws, the city remains quite dangerous for many residents.
While the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen has made it harder for states with anti-gun governments, places like New York are still finding ways to restrict the right to keep and bear arms. Unfortunately, it does not appear these laws are truly keeping people safe:
Stabbings and slashings are surging this year across New York City – skyrocketing 26% since 2019, according to disturbing new NYPD data obtained by The Post.
Since Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, the city has seen 3,365 nonfatal stabbings, compared to 2,666 four years ago. The number is also up 5% from the same period last year, which saw 3,208 nonfatal incidents of knife violence.
So far this year, 53 people have died by blade — a shocking 29% increase from 41 in 2019. The tally is down 23% from 2022, which saw 69 people killed by knives.
It is worth mentioning that the rate of gun violence has dropped in the Big Apple even after it became easier for New Yorkers to purchase and carry firearms:
For the month of March 2023, New York City saw a 26.1% drop in shooting incidents compared to March 2022 (85 v. 115), extending the 23.2% drop in shooting incidents citywide through the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year (222 v. 289). Additionally, homicides fell by 11.4% (31 v. 35) for the month of March, extending the 12.7% decrease in homicides over the first three months of 2023 (89 v. 102).
These numbers would signify a welcome development if New Yorkers were not becoming more susceptible to being victimized by criminals with knives. One officer said more people are carrying knives because they are “simply easier and cheaper to get than a gun — and far less risky.”
He added:
You stop [someone with a knife] and they say, ‘I carry it for work.’ It’s probably a bullsh-t answer. . . . It’s like they know what to say to avoid being arrested. And they know even if you do arrest them, it’s a summons. . . . They know no one’s going to jail for that.
Other officers indicated that criminals favor bladed weapons because they are easier to hide, which makes for smoother ambushes of unsuspecting, and unarmed, citizens.
New York City still has a serious problem with crime. The anti-gunner lobby, combined with far-leftist prosecutors who do not like to prosecute violent offenders is further compounding the problem.
Of course, it is important to realize that if more responsible New Yorkers were armed, the prevalence of knives would not be as much of an issue. If would-be assailants knew there was a decent chance a potential target was packing heat, they might not be as gung-ho about trying to victimize them. Even criminals know it’s a bad idea to bring a knife to a potential gunfight.
Until legal challenges strike down the laws New York passed to get around the Bruen decision, this means that people will remain vulnerable to bad actors. Too bad the state’s government is more concerned about protecting criminals than law-abiding folks.
