Biden Visits New York After NYPD Funeral, Says "106 Deaths Daily, Must End Gun Violence"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] "Every day, 316 people are shot and 106 lose their lives in this country. And so far this year, 6 NYPD officers have become victims of gun violence."

On the 3rd (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden, visiting New York, raised his voice that gun crimes must be eradicated through gun control. He also emphasized the need to support the police responsible for the city's security.

According to CNN, President Biden visited the New York Police Department, the largest police organization in the U.S., the day after the funeral of an NYPD officer who was shot and killed on duty. He attended a gun violence strategy partnership meeting with former police officer and newly inaugurated New York Mayor Eric Adams and others to discuss related measures and promised to expand police support.

President Biden emphasized, "The answer is for the police and the community to build trust together and create a safe society," adding, "We will not cut police budgets and will provide and support the necessary additional equipment." He also urged Congress to pass gun-related regulatory bills and reach bipartisan agreement on the FY2022 spending bill, including related funding support. The measures also included regulating so-called 'ghost guns' to reduce gun crimes. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York Governor Kathy Hochul were also present at the meeting.

The president's visit to New York came amid growing concerns about public safety as crime rates have risen in major U.S. cities since COVID-19. In particular, in New York, gun crimes have been occurring one after another, including two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to domestic violence reports. Tens of thousands of frontline police officers and citizens gathered at the NYPD officer's funeral held in Manhattan the day before to pay their respects. On the night of the 1st, a day before the funeral, two men approached on-duty police officers and opened fire. There have already been six shooting incidents targeting the NYPD this year. Mayor Adams, who attended the funeral, declared a war on gun crime, saying, "We will build a city of peace from the ashes of fear."

On the 2nd (local time), fellow officers attending the funeral of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora near St. Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, paid their respects. Officer Mora was shot and killed on the night of the 21st of last month while responding to a domestic violence report with fellow Officer Jason Rivera. Officer Rivera's funeral was held last week. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

President Biden is also interpreted to have sought to soothe police officers shaken by the recent spate of gun crimes. With the midterm elections coming up in November, a surge in crime rates in major cities would inevitably have a negative impact on voter sentiment for President Biden.

Local media evaluated that his repeated statement that "we are not cutting police budgets" was also made with moderate voters in mind ahead of the midterm elections. Earlier, after the death of George Floyd in 2020, when calls to defund the police emerged mainly from the progressive camp, President Biden did not express a clear stance. However, after taking office in 2021, he prioritized gun crime as a major issue, and the White House has repeatedly cited gun crime as the biggest concern related to crime in the U.S.

CNN reported, "Addressing gun crime is a priority for both parties," adding, "This is seen as an area where the Democratic Party can build political momentum in the midterm elections."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.