Encouraging signs for Manhattan D.A. this Gun Violence Awareness Month

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June marks Gun Violence Awareness Month across the country. Shootings are the leading cause of death for Black men ages 15 to 24 in the United States. Here in New York City, 5% of city blocks account for a disproportionate amount of gun violence, including locations in Manhattan’s East Harlem.

There’s both bad and good news on the gun violence front. It’s easier than ever to get a gun, thanks to 3D-printing technology, and the “iron pipeline” for trafficking traditional firearms into the state remains. Yet shootings continue to decline both in Manhattan and on a citywide level.

Christopher Prevost, deputy chief of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Trial Division, and Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Bonnie Seok told the AmNews their efforts feel encouraging because Manhattan shootings dipped by 33% year-to-date as of June 8. The prosecutors credit both proactive and reactive enforcement, as well as addressing underlying causes.

“Members of the office, particularly in the Trial Division, are often involved in the investigation of gun violence from moments after the crime occurred, and so we’re being very proactive with our investigative resources, trying to make sure that they are enhancing what the NYPD is doing,” said Prevost. “Together, we’re collecting what evidence exists or can be found so we can hold anyone involved in gun violence accountable.”

State lawmakers take aim at DIY machine guns

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg is cracking down on 3D printing instructions enabling the proliferation of DIY guns.

by TANDY LAU

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office points to several high-profile criminal group takedowns. Some resulted in recovering firearms, while others led to convictions of the most frequent perpetrators, who often participate in other illicit activity that funds gun sales.

While Prevost’s work typically follows a serious act of violence, Seok’s investigations focus on the D.A.’s Ghost Gun Initiative. “About five years ago, our office, with the NYPD, recognized the emerging threat of ghost guns on the horizon, and the statistics show that over the past five years, there’s been an explosion of ghost guns across the country,” she said.

Back then, ghost guns were typically obtained through kits from manufacturers, like the now-defunct Polymer80. 3D-printing blueprints make them even more accessible now. Ghost guns are untraceable and any difference from a traditional firearm is negligible.

The Ghost Gun Initiative emerged as a result and has since seized 134 ghost gun parts and 92 firearms, including full-assembled guns. Such investigations often stem from building up long-term cases before an arrest or prosecution. Seok credits the preemptive enforcement for why shootings haven’t increased with the emergence of ghost guns.

“The hard work is paying off – thanks to targeted prosecutions, strong collaboration with law enforcement, and strategic investments in the community, shootings in Manhattan are down 66% compared to before I took office,” said Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg. ”I’m proud of the work Chris Prevost, Bonnie Seok, Pierre Griffith, and hundreds of other prosecutors and staff in the Manhattan D.A.’s office are doing day in and day out to combat gun violence in all its forms, and we will keep building on this progress to achieve lasting public safety.”

The prosecutors also point to private companies getting on board with prevention — YouTube, for example, tightened policies for gun-related content accessible to young adults after a letter from the Manhattan D.A. last year.

Last month, the office championed a bill criminalizing blueprints for 3D printed auto sears or “Glock switches,” which can significantly increase firing rate. “We are very worried about that trend,” said Seok. “It’s exploding across the country, and we want to kind of curb its proliferation here.”