Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams and Council Member Brad Lander called on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Dermot Shea to halt the issuing of easier-to-fire weapons to new NYPD recruits until several concerns are addressed. Use of the new firearms was first reported in August.

In a letter, the leaders reject the notion that these new weapons are either necessary or an improvement, saying "Guns with triggers that require only five pounds of pressure to fire are unlikely to enhance public safety in our city. In a year where our city budget struggled, the decision to take on the cost of these weapons is a concern." They question both the cost of the new guns and the decision-making process to authorize them, a process which did not include community input or involvement.

They also highlighted the potential risks associated with the weapons, arguing that "Our offices are not aware of any complaints that the weapons currently used by NYPD officers are, or have been, insufficient. We are aware there are too many instances when NYPD officers resorted to pulling the trigger and leading to innocent people losing their lives. Guns that fire more quickly would not have prevented deaths or increased the safety of either officers or communities."

The full text of the letter from Public Advocate Williams and Council Member Lander is below, and it can be downloaded here.

Dear Mayor de Blasio,

We are deeply concerned about the New York Police Department equipping its officers with new, easier-to-shoot firearms, which was reported on by the Daily News on Aug. 25. Guns with triggers that require only five pounds of pressure to fire are unlikely to enhance public safety in our city. In a year where our city budget struggled, the decision to take on the cost of these weapons is a concern.

As we understand it, this decision was made without input from New Yorkers. Further, our

offices are not aware of any complaints that the weapons currently used by NYPD officers are, or have been, insufficient. We are aware there are too many instances when NYPD officers resorted to pulling the trigger and leading to innocent people losing their lives. Guns that fire more quickly would not have prevented deaths or increased the safety of either officers or communities.

To this end we ask:

• What is the cost to equip incoming recruits with the new 5-pound trigger guns?
• How are these new guns funded?
• How was the decision to equip the NYPD with the new 5-pound trigger guns made?

We ask that this program not move forward until the concerns from the community are

addressed.

Please contact First Deputy Public Advocate Nick E. Smith at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov, and Edgardo “Solomon” Acevedo, Deputy Public Advocate for Justice, Health Equity, and Safety at eacevedo@advocate.nyc.gov. We look forward to receiving your prompt response and welcome further conversations about this important and urgent topic.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jumaane D. Williams

Public Advocate for the City of New York

Brad Lander

New York City Council Member