Dear New York City Representatives,

Have you ever been afraid to leave your own home? If so then you are facing the difficulty many people are facing in New York City.  Gun crimes, assaults, and many more crimes have been prevalent not only throughout New York but also throughout the country. This issue is harming the environment and making it a dangerous place to live in and due to having no solution, it’s still growing. In both Corona, Queens and in Queens, New York there is an issues with safety. People constantly feel unsafe and deal with violence and harassment. In addition to that there are motorcycle races and fights in the areas. This is a formal request for more safety measures to be put in place to prevent these issues from continuing. We can add more lights for when it turns night, have a center that provides counseling for those in need, more police protection, and to have it so there are martial art instructors so people can feel safer in the community.

The Queen's community has been facing a terrifying amount of violence and harassment causing an unsafe environment.  To go further in-depth about the situation, there are many crimes such as robberies and hate crimes. It has come to the point where some people in the community are afraid of going outside. For the month of January 2021, there were 486 gun arrests. This is an increase of 61.5% compared to January 2020, or +185 arrests – marking the greatest number of gun arrests for any January in the CompStat-era. (New York Police Department, 2021) To rephrase, the amount of gun arrests has increased by a major amount in the month of January in 2021 than in 2020 further suggesting that the situation in New York will keep rising. This is imperative because the definition of the word arrest is to seize someone by legal authority and take them into custody. This information stresses that the rising criminal activity is causing a dangerous area to live in.  According to the 2019 County Index Crime Counts and Rates Per 100,000 Population, the crime rates in New York City are more than any other city in New York state. This is important to understand since it demonstrates how New York City is one of the most hazardous cities in the whole state and possibly country. This information is significant because the definition of index crimes includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. This further emphasizes that because of the alarming rise in violence in New York City, it has become an undesirable and threatening place to live. To summarize, the current situation in New York City should be solved promptly because not only is it creating a hazardous space but also the issue will keep escalating. 

An educational center that addresses the people and teaches them how to defend themselves would be the best protective measure to take. The presented solution would be beneficial to everyone in New York since everyone has access to it and it would provide protection for the people. There were 152 citywide shooting incidents in September 2020, compared to 67 shooting incidents in September 2019, a +127% increase. (New York Police Department, 2020) Shootings in New York have more than doubled in a year when the problem should have been already resolved or at least limited. This is important because the definition of citywide is something that extends throughout a city. With this being said, a possible solution to this problem would be to build protective shelters because it's not just certain people that are exposed to these criminal activities, it's everyone and everything in New York. Murder is up +40% for the first nine months of 2020 when compared to the first nine months of 2019. Burglary increased +38% in September and is up +42% year-to-date through September 30. (New York Police Department, 2020) This data continues to explain that crimes are an issue that has to be dealt with quickly and efficiently because they are still common in the area.  This is critical because although it is simple, the definition of increased is to become greater in size, amount, intensity, or degree. By understanding this information, we can conclude that these crimes will not stop and are becoming a bigger issue over time so this requires a solution immediately being a center.  In all, the solution of a center would be beneficial not only because it protects from the dangers but also because it will limit the amount of criminal activity in the region of New York.

The residents of Queens request a percentage of the funds of the social service in NYC to go towards centers that would assist in both self-defense and counseling. Presently, about fifteen billion dollars are allocated towards social services and the funds will have a major impact in creating a safer space for the people in Queens because unfortunately there are many crimes. This is a crucial concept to grasp since the entirety of New York has to deal with such chaos and harsh conditions to the point where people are afraid to even walk around their block. This issue has to be addressed and a center as the solution would have a very positive impact on the community.  

Queens, New York, and all over the state, there have been many violations and criminal activities that are making people in the area scared because it has turned into a menacing area. A possible solution to this would be to provide counseling and self-defense for the people in the form of a center which we request.  People fear being threatened and have every reason to be cautious in an area they feel is dangerous. This fear is what people have to go through in New York with all the violence however with time and care the community can be repaired and become a peaceful environment.