NYPD COMMISSIONER TISCH, AG JAMES, NYC DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ANNOUNCE NYPD’S REMOVAL OF OVER 4,500 GUNS FROM NEW YORK CITY STREETS IN 2026

 

Builds on NYPD’s Work to Reduce Gun Violence and Deliver Fewest Shooting Incidents, Shooting

Victims, and Murders for the First Nine Months of the Year

Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the five New York City District Attorneys today announced that the NYPD has removed over 4,500 guns from New York City streets since January 2026. In total, the NYPD has seized 4,503 guns so far this year, with 1,239 seized in Brooklyn, 1,095 seized in Manhattan, 1,055 seized in the Bronx, 868 seized in Queens, and 246 seized on Staten Island. The NYPD seized 270 ghost guns — unserialized and untraceable firearms that only exist to evade law enforcement and gun laws, often ending up in the hands of criminals.

The NYPD’s work to remove guns from city streets and dismantle the most dangerous gangs has contributed to the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders in New York City for the first nine months of the year. To put that into historical context, in 2021, New York City experienced a 16-year high in gun violence. In 2026, just five years later, shooting incidents and shooting victims have both fallen nearly 60% citywide from that peak.

“Since the beginning of this year, the NYPD has taken over 4,500 guns off our streets and driven shootings and murders to historic lows,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These remarkable results are the product of our precision-policing strategy: deploying our officers where violence is concentrated, dismantling the gangs responsible for driving it, and relentlessly pursuing the guns that fuel it. I thank the brave men and women of this department who put our strategy into action, and the tireless work of Attorney General Letitia James and New York City’s five district attorneys for their partnership in making our communities safer.”

Driving Down Gun Violence

These efforts have contributed to historic lows in gun violence. Earlier this month, the NYPD announced that the department broke the record for the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders for the first nine months of the year and in the third quarter.

Shooting incidents fell by 11.6% (489 vs. 553), 64 fewer than the previous record set in 2025. Brooklyn and Queens recorded their fewest shooting incidents ever for the first nine months of the year with 159 and 61, respectively.

Shooting victims fell by 14.4% (594 vs. 694), 100 fewer shooting victims than the previous record set in 2018 and in 2025. Compared to just five years ago, 846 fewer New Yorkers were shot this year than over the same time period in 2021. Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens each recorded the fewest shooting victims ever for this point in the year, with 201 in Brooklyn, 78 in Manhattan, and 69 in Queens.

Murders fell by 19.8% (203 vs. 253), 12 fewer murders than the previous record of 215 set in 2017. This year, murders were down in four of the five boroughs with Brooklyn and Manhattan both recording their fewest murders with 57 and 24, respectively.

Violence Reduction Zones

This past summer, the NYPD implemented its Summer Violence Reduction Plan — deploying officers in the times and locations where violence and disorder are most concentrated and likely to occur. From May 4 through September 14, major crime declined 20.7% (1,894 vs. 2,388), shooting incidents declined 29.1% (56 vs. 79), shooting victims declined 26.7% (77 vs. 105), and robberies were down 29.1% (454 vs. 640) in the zones during deployment hours. Major crime was down in four of the five boroughs in the zones during deployment hours with Staten Island remaining flat. The greatest reduction was driven in the Bronx, down 30.5% (700 vs. 1,007).