<b>[ THEME MUSIC ]</b> <b>>> WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S</b> <b>EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW.

"</b> <b>I'M DAN CLARK.</b> <b>WE TALK A LOT ABOUT CRIME AND</b> <b>PUBLIC SAFETY ON THIS SHOW, AND</b> <b>USUALLY, IT'S BAD NEWS, LIKE A</b> <b>BIG FINANCIAL CRIME OR A MASS</b> <b>SHOOTING.</b> <b>THIS WEEK, WE HAVE SOME NEWS</b> <b>THAT'S GOOD.</b> <b>NEW CRIME DATA SHOWS THAT THE</b> <b>NUMBER OF MURDERS IN NEW YORK</b> <b>WENT DOWN LAST YEAR.</b> <b>THERE WERE 790 MURDERS LAST YEAR</b> <b>COMPARED TO 885 THE YEAR BEFORE,</b> <b>ACCORDING TO THE STATE.</b> <b>AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DROP</b> <b>BUT STILL A LOT HIGHER THAN</b> <b>PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS.</b> <b>AT THE SAME TIME, GUN SEIZURES</b> <b>BY POLICE WERE UP.</b> <b>POLICE IN NEW YORK SEIZED MORE</b> <b>THAN 10,000 GUNS LAST YEAR, AN</b> <b>INCREASE OF ABOUT 15% COMPARED</b> <b>TO 2021, STATE DATA SHOWS, AND</b> <b>4,300 MORE THAN IN 2020.</b> <b>AND EXTREME RISK PROTECTION</b> <b>ORDERS ARE UP TWO.</b> <b>THAT'S WHEN A JUDGE DECIDES THAT</b> <b>SOMEONE'S GUNS SHOULD BE TAKEN</b> <b>AWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER A</b> <b>RISK TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS.</b> <b>IT'S MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE</b> <b>RED FLAG GUN LAW AND IN MAY, THE</b> <b>NUMBER OF EXTREME RISK</b> <b>PROTECTION ORDERS WAS 927 IN NEW</b> <b>YORK.</b> <b>THAT'S COMPARED TO ONE YEAR</b> <b>EARLIER, WHEN THERE WERE JUST</b> <b>118 OF THOSE ORDERS.</b> <b>SO THE TAKE-AWAY HERE IS THAT</b> <b>MURDERS ARE DOWN, AND THERE ARE</b> <b>FEWER GUNS ON THE STREETS.</b> <b>AND FRANKLY, WE DON'T REALLY</b> <b>KNOW IF THE TWO ARE CONNECTED,</b> <b>BUT GOVERNOR KATHIE HOCHUL SAID</b> <b>THIS WEEK THAT STRATEGY AGAINST</b> <b>CRIME WILL CONTINUE TO GROW.</b> <b>>> SHOOTINGS ARE DOWN.</b> <b>BACK DOWN TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS</b> <b>AND SHOOTINGS ARE DOWN 26% IN</b> <b>NEW YORK CITY.</b> <b>SO THESE ARE GOOD NUMBERS, MY</b> <b>FRIENDS, BECAUSE IT WASN'T THAT</b> <b>LONG AGO WE WERE SITTING HERE</b> <b>WATCHING THESE NUMBERS CREEP UP</b> <b>AND UP AND UP, AND WE NEVER</b> <b>KNEW, ARE WE HEADING INTO THAT</b> <b>1990S WORLD, WHICH IS SO</b> <b>TERRIFYING FOR PEOPLE LIVING,</b> <b>PARTICULARLY IN OUR URBAN AREAS.</b> <b>>> WE'LL KEEP AN EYE ON THAT</b> <b>DATA TO SEE IF THOSE TRENDS</b> <b>CHANGE.</b>