Push Blaz to up funds vs. gun violence

Dozens of Brooklyn community leaders called on Mayor de Blasio to increase funding for anti-violence and shooting prevention efforts after a spike in crime in the borough’s north precincts this year.

There were 101 shooting incidents in Patrol Borough Brooklyn North the first half of this year — a 27.8% increase from the 79 shootings during the same period in 2018, according to the NYPD. The number of victims also rose to 118 from 98 during that time.

Borough President Eric Adams and 26 community and faith leaders urged de Blasio to increase the budget for the Office to Prevent Gun Violence 20% for more faithbased interventions, violence interrupters and civilian patrols. They also want the city to pump up funding in Brooklyn for Cure Violence, which embeds outreach workers in their communities.

“Given the recent and alarming uptick in the number of violent incidents recently recorded in north Brooklyn… it is timely and appropriate that adequate funding be provided to combat this surge,” they wrote June 3.

Officials said Monday 25% of the city’s total number of gun arrests through the first six months of this year occurred in just four precincts in northern Brooklyn. A fifth of shootings this year occurred in those precincts, and 36% of guns cops recovered in that time were in those commands.

More cops were deployed in response to the rise in violence.

De Blasio’s office said the city has increased funding for the Crisis Management System, which deploys teams of mediators to stamp out conflicts on the street and connect people to services to reduce risk of future violence. The system covers 22 neighborhoods that account for more than half of city shootings.

The Office to Prevent Gun Violence budget is $36 million. It was $12 million in 2014.

“We are committed to ending gun violence and will continue to find ways to support and increase the reach of our dedicated community partners in Brooklyn and across the city,” a de Blasio rep said.