By Jessica Easthope
In just January alone, 24 police officers were shot in New York City, but the deaths of two of them, Detectives Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora are shedding a light on how rampant violent crime in the Big Apple has become.
“Enough is enough,” said President Biden. “Because we know we can do things about this, but for the resistance we’re getting from some sectors of the government.”
New Yorkers are calling for change, including the NYPD chaplain who met with the families of the slain officers.
“Hopefully these times change, hopefully through our politicians we get back to some law and order in society,” said NYPD Deputy Chief Chaplain Monsignor David Cassato.
During President Joe Biden’s visit to the city, Thursday, he opposed defunding the police.
“The answer is not to de-fund the police. It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding, to be partners, to be protectors,” he said.
The president came at the invitation of Mayor Eric Adams and joined Governor Kathy Hochul and the United States Attorney General Merrick Garland. Mayor Adams is asking the president to federally fund a “9/11 response” to the violence.
“This room came together to zero in on the violence that is attempting to take our way of life,” said Mayor Adams.
And the rise in violence isn’t just in New York, it’s across the country. Last year 16 cities broke their own murder records including Philadelphia and Atlanta. So far this year 316 people have been shot, 106 killed, 64 children have been shot and injured and 26 have been killed by guns.
“There’s no violation of the second amendment right. We talk like there’s no amendment that’s absolute,” said President Biden.
With midterm elections coming up the country is keeping a close eye on the president’s response. He faces a balancing act of getting guns off the street, but also keeping his promise of police reform.