MAYOR BLOOMBERG DISCUSSES HOW THE CITY SET ALL-TIME RECORD LOWS FOR FEWEST MURDERS AND FEWEST SHOOTINGS THIS YEAR IN WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS
The following is the text of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, December 30, 2012.
“The holiday season is a time for New Yorkers to come together with family and friends, look to a new year, and count our blessings. One of those blessings is the fact that New York remains the safest big city in the country. And this year, thanks to the men and women of the NYPD, we reached historic milestones in the most important measures of public safety. In 2012, our City had the lowest number of murders of any time in at least the past 50 years. We also had the fewest shootings of any time since comparable records began being kept.
“Let me put those accomplishments in perspective: The previous record-low number of murders in modern times was 471, in 2009. Going into this weekend, it was clear we were going to break that record – by a lot. Murders are down almost 19 percent this year compared to last. And they’re down 35 percent from where they were 11 years ago, when our Administration began. Stepping back further makes the picture even more impressive: In 1990, New York City had 2,245 murders; an average of more than six a day. Today, we average closer to one a day – even though our population has grown by roughly a million people over the same period of time.
“The dramatic drop in New York’s murder rate means that there are thousands and thousands of sons, daughters, neighbors and fellow New Yorkers whose lives have been saved. In fact, by reducing the number of murders so much over the past 10 years compared to the decade before, we’ve saved more than 5,600 lives that would otherwise have been lost.
“Of course, we can always do better. Too many New Yorkers are still being killed or injured by illegal guns. And our city is not alone. The horrifying shootings in Newtown two weeks ago broke all of our hearts – and reminded us how far we still have to go to keep our nation safe from guns. Every single day, 33 Americans, many of them children, are murdered with guns. It’s a national tragedy that demands an immediate national response. That’s why, as co-chair of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, I’m doing everything I can to push our leaders in Washington to adopt common-sense gun laws that will protect our communities. And I promise you I won’t stop until we see results.
“Here in New York City, there’s no question that with tough, smart gun laws – and the world’s greatest police department – we’ve done a tremendous amount to reduce violent crime. That’s one of the reasons life expectancy here is at an all-time high. Other innovative measures we’ve put in place have also played a part; they include reducing tobacco use, making our streets safer for drivers and pedestrians, posting restaurant calorie counts, and increasing access to healthy foods. Thanks to these measures, babies born in our city in 2010 can expect to live longer, healthier lives than at any other time in the city’s history.
“In these ways and others, 2012 was a year full of big accomplishments. And we’ll continue to raise the bar in 2013. In the meantime, my best wishes to all of you for a healthy, happy New Year.
“This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening.”
