A Harlem mother, who tragically lost her two sons to gun violence, delivered an impassioned plea for action as the NYPD reported the confiscation of over 1,000 guns from the city’s streets in 2026 alone.
Jackie Rowe-Adams emphatically declared, “enough is enough,” while NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch attributed this achievement to intensified efforts against gangs and the strategic deployment of officers in high-crime areas, reaching this significant milestone within the year’s first quarter.
“As a mother who has endured the loss of two children to gun violence, I am beyond weary of every news report or headline about lives lost and illegal firearms infiltrating our city,” expressed the founder of Harlem Mothers SAVE during a press conference in Brownsville, flanked by Tisch and state Attorney General Letitia James.
“The NYPD is no longer turning a blind eye.”
Rowe-Adams, aged 77, has firsthand experience with the devastating impact of gun violence. In 1982, her 17-year-old son was shot and killed in Harlem, and in 1998, her 28-year-old son met a similar fate in Baltimore, as reported previously.
“It’s time to unite and prioritize saving lives in New York City,” she urged. “We need to put an end to guns, illegal firearms, and the senseless loss of life.”
Overall, 1,054 guns have been seized with 305 confiscated in Brooklyn, another 251 in the Bronx and 240 in Manhattan, according to the NYPD. Cops grabbed 194 guns in Queens and 64 more on Staten Island.
Fifty-two firearms were untraceable ghost guns. Many of the weapons were laid out on tables during the announcement.
Last year during the first three months of the year, more than 1,300 guns were seized.
The city has seen record low shootings and gunshot victims in the first two months of this year compared to any other year on record, according to NYPD figures.
Tisch said during the press conference the NYPD had a “multi-prong” approach to getting guns off the street while stating the agency has changed its approach to combatting shootings.
She said officers are laser focused on “going after the guns and going after the gangs.”
“This is precision policing,” she said, noting an “unprecedented” number of cops – about 2,000 — are sent into neighborhoods each night that have been plagued by gunfire.
She also said the department has ramped up its effort to take down gangs.
“When we do a big gang takedown in a community it can affect the shooting levels and the level of violence in that community for years to come,” Tisch said.
