Youth violence has skyrocketed in NYC, top cop Jessica Tisch reveals as she blames contentious ‘Raise the Age' law
Youth violence has skyrocketed in the Big Apple over the last few years, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Tuesday — as she placed the blame on the state's contentious 'Raise the Age' law.
The number of kids under the age of 18 busted with a gun increased by a whopping 136% between 2018 and 2024, the top cop said alongside Mayor Eric Adams at a crime stats briefing held at City Hall.
Over the same period, Tisch said the number of underage shooters soared 192%, while the number of juvenile victims of gun violence spiked by 81%.
'I have seen enough,' Tisch said of the surging youth crime, while pointing the finger at Albany's soft-on-crime law that raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18.
The NYPD couldn't immediately provide the exact numbers tied to the percentage increases cited by the commissioner.
But so far in 2025, 36 — or 14% — of suspected shooters in the five boroughs have been under the age of 18, she said.
And 44 shooting victims — also 14% — were under the age of 18 so far this year, according to Tisch.
She said the spike was a result of Raise the Age, which was signed by then-governor – and now mayoral candidate – Andrew Cuomo on April 10, 2017, and took effect in October 2019.
The law upped the age for a teen to face adult charges to 18, from the previous 16- and 17-year-old threshold.
'The idea behind this was one that we could all agree on: children should not be treated like adults in our criminal justice system,' Tisch said.
'But when the age of criminal responsibility went up, the age of criminal suspects went down.'
Gangs and crews are now recruiting ever-younger members – who 'carry the guns and commit the shootings, the robberies and the assaults' – in order to evade serious consequences, according to the commissioner.
'Seriously bad things come from a consequence-free environment, and right now juveniles who commit crimes in New York City are living in a virtually consequence-free environment,' she said.
Tisch's comments came a week after a 13-year-old boy was busted in the murder of an innocent 28-year-old plumber's apprentice from Yonkers who was simply meeting his out-of-town friend in the Bronx when he was shot dead.
The teen turned himself in on May 27 to face charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and criminal use of a firearm in the broad-daylight April 23 shooting death of bystander Daoud Marji, police said.
It was part of the troubling trend outlined by Tisch that increasingly shows youngsters becoming both the perpetrators — and victims — of gun violence.
Earlier in May, Evette Jeffrey, a 16-year-old girl riding her scooter near a schoolyard was shot in the head and killed by a stray bullet — which was fired by a 14-year-old who was handed a gun by a 13-year-old, according to cops.
The tragic May 12 shooting stemmed from a beef between rival street gangs — Forest Over Everything and the upstart crew Kreep On Davidson — based at the Davidson Houses housing project in Morrisania, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
'She was an innocent bystander who was simply trying to take cover behind the brick wall and was struck in the head by one of the rounds,' Kenny said at the time about the young victim.
'The victim, Evette Jeffrey, was not involved in this dispute.'
Tisch's startling comments came as she and Adams announced a more promising crime trend — a dip in shooting and murders so far this year.
From January through May, the Big Apple saw the lowest number of shootings and murders in recorded history, statistics show.
The city also set a record for the lowest number of shootings and murders in the month of May, the officials said.
The mayor and top cop also touted the NYPD's seizure of more than 2,200 illegal firearms from the streets since the beginning of 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Hall of Fame' repeat offender with some 230 arrests in trouble again with 4 busts in just a month
The serial transit offender with about 230 total arrests who cops slammed as a candidate for the subway crime 'Hall of Fame' is in trouble again as he racked up four more busts over the past month before being dumped back onto the street, law enforcement sources said. Michael Wilson, 37 – who sources say committed 90 percent of his crimes in the subway system – was nabbed for the 25th time this year on Tuesday for allegedly riding between cars on a train passing through the 42nd Street-Times Square station, according to the sources. He then lied about his personal info to arresting officers, according to the sources. Wilson was also busted on May 25 for allegedly lying across multiple seats on a train car in Brooklyn, police said. On May 12, he was nabbed for allegedly smoking crack cocaine on a staircase at Riverside Drive and 104th Street on the Upper West Side, and then tossing the residue down the steps, cops and sources said. And on May 6, Wilson was charged with allegedly smoking crack on a moving train in Harlem, police said. He was released on each of the cases – which is nothing new for the serial offender, who earlier this year drew the ire of NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper. 'If there was a hall of fame for Subway offenders — this guy would be a first ballot inductee,' NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper wrote in a scathing X post. 'And yet, certain parts of our criminal justice system seem to think otherwise.' Kemper's comments came after Wilson's Feb. 2 bust, when cops caught him swiping a rider through a turnstile with a MetroCard in exchange for cash, law enforcement sources said. He was ordered to leave the West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue subway station during the 10 a.m. ordeal, but he refused, and started to flail his arms and stiffen his body in an effort to avoid arrest. Eventually officers placed Wilson under arrest. They found six MetroCards in his possession, which they bent along their magnetic strips to render them unusable. He also had a student MetroCard. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office ultimately let him off without prosecution 'in the interest of justice,' according to sources. Kemper took exception to the DA's rationale, referencing it verbatim in his X post. 'Justice for whom? Recidivist criminals or law abiding NYers who simply want to travel on the subways free of harassment or open acts of lawlessness?' Kemper said. A spokesperson for Bragg said at the time that his office continues to 'hold accountable those who jeopardize the safety of other passengers and transit workers in our subways. 'Last year's decrease in transit crime throughout the borough was the result of close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, and we are continuing that work every day,' the spokesperson said. Before that bust, Wilson was arrested on two criminal tampering charges on Jan. 17, and seven others on Jan. 13, according to the sources. On Jan. 3, he was arrested and slapped with 11 charges – 10 for criminal tampering and one for theft of service, the sources said. The career criminal – whose first arrest was back in 2004 – was arrested 232 times over the years, but dozens of those cases have been sealed, bringing the unsealed total to 170, according to the sources. A whopping 135 of his arrests have been on felony charges, but he's only been convicted of felonies four times, with one of them a violent felony, according to the sources. His parole was also revoked several times, the sources said. He has also racked up 53 misdemeanor convictions, the sources said. Wilson had also been issued more than 30 bench warrants to failure to appear in court, according to the sources.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why NYC mayoral candidate Ramos says she endorsed opponent Cuomo
NEW YORK - In a surprising political twist, mayoral candidate and state Senator Jessica Ramos endorsed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, despite her previous criticisms of him, including his handling of the COVID pandemic and sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo, however, declined to endorse Ramos in return. What they're saying Ramos, who has been critical of Cuomo's record and even compared his mental acuity to that of former President Joe Biden, now sees the race as primarily between two candidates: Cuomo and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. LIST: Meet the candidates running for NYC mayor She says that Mamdani does not have the experience to run the city and that Cuomo is better suited to take on President Donald Trump. "Andrew Cuomo and I definitely don't have the same style in governing, and I am hoping that we are focused on tackling the very serious threat of Donald Trump upon our city," she said. Ramos will remain on the ballot, but her endorsement acknowledges the fact that she sees no path to victory. Since entering the race, Ramos' campaign struggled to get off the ground. She never raised enough small-dollar contributions for public matching funds and never gained any meaningful support among the city's labor unions. The Working Families Party also did not initially include her in their slate of candidates, and Ramos made it clear that she felt spurned by the organization. Cuomo brushed off Ramos' past criticisms on Friday, stating that campaign rhetoric often leads to strong statements about opponents. He acknowledged her endorsement but clarified he is not endorsing her in return. "She is endorsing me. I'm not endorsing her," he said. The other side Mamdani said he is disappointed that Ramos chose to endorse Cuomo. "To see him continue to be legitimized is something that will always trouble me, especially given the fact that we have run this campaign," he said. "Many of us as candidates being crystal clear that while each of us thinks we will make the best next mayor of New York, we all share the agreement it should not be Andrew Cuomo." Meanwhile, protesters interrupted a housing rally being held by Mamdani in Lower Manhattan that ended with a man, Raul Rivera, allegedly biting one of the tenant organizers. The NYPD said Rivera was arrested for assault, and the woman who was bitten was treated on the scene. Mamdani and others have called on Cuomo to condemn the violence. What's next New York City's primary elections are on Tuesday, June 24. The Source This article uses candidate statements
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Photos show alleged crypto kidnapping victim 'having a good time' at Soho townhouse
The Brief Newly obtained photos show alleged Italian kidnapping victim Michael Carturan at the posh Soho townhouse of accused torturers John Woeltz and William Duplessie. One photo shows him shirtless and smiling with a neck collar attached to a leash, pulled by a woman. Another video shows him having sex with a woman. Carturan reported escaping on May 23, alleging threats and torture for his Bitcoin password; suspects face charges including kidnapping and assault. NEW YORK - Photos obtained by TMZ reveal a wild scene inside the Soho townhouse where Italian crypto investor Michael Carturan was allegedly tortured and held captive by John Woeltz and William Duplessie. What we know TMZ's photos depict Carturan, whose face is blurred, shirtless and smiling with a neck collar attached to a leash, pulled by a woman. The images, captured between May 11 and May 13, show multiple people in the room, though it's unclear if Woeltz or Duplessie are present. A video, not shown in this report, appears to show Carturan having sex with a woman. What they're saying Charles Latibeaudiere, executive producer at TMZ, said these photos show this case in a new light. "It definitely paints a much different picture from what police and prosecutors have said went down in that Soho townhouse. The question is: Did it change? So what we've seen in these photos that we've obtained, Michael the Italian investor seems to be enjoying himself with the women who are there," Latibeaudiere said. Former NYPD detective Michael Alcazar commented that the photos and video suggest Carturan was a willing participant, appearing to enjoy himself. "The photos and video is good for the perpetrators," Alcazar told FOX 5 NY, "It seems like he was a willing participant. It sure looked like he was having a good time." Alcazar noted that police will identify and question everyone in the videos and photos to verify the events, including checking DNA evidence and fingerprints. The backstory Carturan escaped on May 23, reporting to police that the suspects used a saw to cut his leg and threatened him for his Bitcoin password. Prosecutors say Duplessie and Woeltz lured the victim to the posh townhouse on May 6 by threatening to kill his family. For 17 days, the two investors tormented him with electrical wires, forced him to smoke from a crack pipe and at one point dangled him from a staircase five stories high, prosecutors allege. Duplessie and Woelyz face several changes, including kidnapping and assault. The Source This article uses reporting from TMZ, the Associated Press and background from former NYPD detective Michael Alcazar.
