3 NYPD officers shot in first three weeks of 2022 spur calls for change

3 NYPD officers shot already in 2022

2022 is barely three weeks old, and already three NYPD officers have been shot. As New York City's gun violence crisis continues, there are growing calls for change.

NEW YORK - 2022 is not even a year old yet, but New York City's gun violence statistics are already shocking.

Three NYPD officers have been shot so far this year, including a detective who was badly wounded during a drug bust on Staten Island Thursday morning. Later in the afternoon, the NYPD shot and killed an armed man who was wanted for robbery.

Now, the gun violence epidemic on the city's streets is drawing alarm from local officials, law enforcement, and residents alike.

"They're not scared of the police," said Vincent Vallelong, President of the Sergeants Benevolent Association. "I mean, it's pretty obvious over and over the past few weeks, you know, when you have an individual that doesn't really think twice about pulling a gun on a uniformed police officer and firing at them, there's a problem."

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On New Year's Day an off-duty cop sleeping in his car in East Harlem waiting for his next shift was shot in the head. On Tuesday, in the Belmont section of the Bronx, an armed teenager believed to be a gang member shot himself and a cop during a scuffle.

Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell have vowed to make the city's streets safer, but many are wondering how they plan to turn the tide.

Paul DiGiacomo, the President of the Detectives Endowment Association is demanding lawmakers in Albany roll back bail reform.

"There's a direct correlation to the amount of violence and the number of guns that are on the streets today because of the bail reform laws that were enacted in Albany." DiGiacomo said.

"Politicians need to have the police's back, and we need our district attorneys to actually go out and do the job that they swore an oath to do," Vallelong said.