New Haven police are making more gun arrests this year — and there are more guns out there to grab.
That was the upshot of a crime-update press conference held Wednesday at police headquarters.
Chief Karl Jacobson reported that the city has recorded 75 nonfatal shootings and seven homicides so far this year, compared to 72 nonfatal shootings and 18 homicides to this point in 2021.
“Seventy-five is way too high,” he said. Other Connecticut cities are seeing their numbers rise more, he said, but New Haven wants to see the numbers fall.
To that end police are making more gun arrests, he said: Officers working in conjunction with state task forces have removed 167 illegal firearms and made 142 firearm-related arrests so far this year, compared to 129 in both categories last year.
“We’re doing great work getting guns off the street. Unfortunately there are a lot more guns on the street. Guns are more accessible to the wrong people, young people, people who will use them to do shootings,” Jacobson said.
That’s especially true for ghost guns: They’re appearing all over the place.
The police seized four ghost guns — which people can order online and finish assembling themselves; and which lack serial numbers — at this point last year. This year they’ve seized 35.
“Juveniles are telling us they are buying these guns off apps,” the chief said.
The ghost guns are also more dangerous to the carriers. At least 11 New Haveners have shot themselves this year, mostly with ghost guns, according to the chief: “They’re not building the gun properly. They’re putting the gun in their pocket, and they’re shooting themselves.”
Jacobson reported that his team has been able to begin reassigning some officers to walking beats. All 10 policing districts used to have walking cops, then the beats were eliminated because of the person-power shortage. Each night three to four cops are walking beats in the city now, he said. On Tuesday night walking cops were out in five neighborhoods, he said: Whalley/Beaver Hills, Grand-Ferry/Fair Haven, Eastern Circle, Kimberly Square, and the Green.