A state law passed in wake of the Newtown, Conn., school massacre has dramatically raised the number of felony gun possession arrests in New York City.
The latest crime data released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services reveal the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, enacted last January, is working, according to Gov. Cuomo.
“The numbers are indisputable. The SAFE Act has enabled the state to better protect New Yorkers,” Cuomo’s spokeswoman, Melissa DeRosa, told The Associated Press.
The crime data shows 1,291 people have been charged under the new gun laws.
Of those, 1,155 have been hit with felony firearms possession charges, which a year ago would have only been a misdemeanor. The bulk of those charged with felonies, 1,041, were busted in New York City.
Another 59 people across the state were nabbed on misdemeanor charges of possession of outlawed high-capacity magazines holding more than seven bullets.
Meanwhile, the law has seemingly put the kibosh on the sales of the popular AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and other assault weapons. The crime statistics show only one person was charged with the illegal sale or transfer of a gun defined by the SAFE Act as an assault weapon.
