As the city prepares for changes to the state’s concealed carry gun law, the City Council discussed enforcement details around Times Square at a hearing on Tuesday.
Starting Sept. 1, people will not be allowed to carry firearms in Times Square, even with a concealed carry permit.
It comes after a Supreme Court ruling in June struck down a century-old state law that required people show "proper cause" to get a license to carry a concealed handgun outside the home.
In response to the ruling, Gov. Kathy Hochul passed legislation strengthening restrictions on concealed carry weapons, including in “sensitive locations” such as airports, libraries and medical facilities. It also specifically designated Times Square as a “sensitive location,” leaving it to the city to define the parameters of that designation.
During the Committee on Public Safety’s hearing on Tuesday, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said she is “hopeful that the state legislation passed together with my bill being heard by this committee today will help to stem any increased gun violence in our city.”
As of Aug. 5, law enforcement seized 4,300 firearms and made 2,752 gun arrests this year, according to Adams.
There were also nearly 900 shooting incidents this year, resulting in 1,070 victims of gun violence, she said.
“The harm continues, and yet we still have four months before the end of this year,” Adams said.
The proposed legislation dictates the boundaries of Times Square as Eighth Avenue, West 40th Street, Sixth Avenue and West 53rd Street, as well as the area by Ninth Avenue, West 40th Street, Eighth Avenue and West 48th Street.
It will likely be put up for a vote next month, according to a council spokesperson.
NYPD officials spoke about enforcement plans once the law takes effect on Thursday, including the type of signage that will display the new rule.
“We recognize that Times Square is a dense, complex and highly trafficked area, and the state and the city are right to act to protect this iconic piece of New York City, while at the same time recognizing the particular interest of firearm licensees who live or work in the area by authorizing the department to promulgate rules in respect to those licensees,” said Robert Barrows, executive director of NYPD legal operations.
Barrows said that people with a license to carry a firearm traveling through Times Square in a “continuous, uninterrupted fashion” may do so as long as the weapon is locked in a container and unloaded, with the ammunition contained separately.