NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — New York City Council is expected to vote today on banning most guns – even legal ones – in Times Square.
The council’s Public Safety Committee approved the measure Tuesday without debate.
The law would officially set the boundaries of the Times Square “sensitive area” after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s restrictive, century-old gun laws.
The NYPD has already put up temporary “no gun” signage.
But enforcing a ban on concealed carry is inherently challenging.
By definition, police cannot see concealed weapons.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke to the National Press Club in Washington about this on Tuesday.
“We do have a challenge, because now in New York City, you look at some place like Times Square. 475,000 people could be in Times Square at any given point of the day,” Adams said. “If you just take a fraction of them that are carrying legally, someone hears a gunshot, everyone responds. So we can turn our city into Dodge City instead of New York City.”
That legislation would also direct the city to further study where illegal guns are coming from.
Mayor Adams says in part, gun manufacturers are to blame.
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Read More: Concealed Carry: Vote expected from NYC Council today on Times Square gun ban