Times Square a gun free zone, new NY gun law goes into effect today Transcript

Shirleen Allicot: (00:00)
A New York state law in New York is now in effect banning concealed carry guns in so-called sensitive places. That includes Times Square. The city posting temporary signs like this one, you’re going to see that in just a moment, declaring the crossroads of the world… There you see them putting it up. The crossroads of the world a gun-free zone. The new rules are meant to address a US Supreme court decision that overturned New York’s 100-year-old gun laws. Eyewitness’s reporter Derek Waller is live in Midtown with the details. Derek?

Derek Waller: (00:33)
Shirleen, we’re standing here on 6th Avenue. You can see those temporary signs behind me, but you really have to be paying attention to notice them. These tiny little laminated, temporary signs that are put up on street posts, street lamps, I should say. And as you can see, they say gun-free zone. We do have that video of the NYPD putting up those signs on Wednesday, along the entrances to Times Square, along 6th, 8th and 9th Avenues, generally speaking, and also on 40th and 53rd streets. There’s also light-up mobile LED signs. That Concealed Carry Improvement Act takes effect today, allowing the state to ban guns in sensitive areas like schools, theaters, polling places, and more, but the city council wants to add Times Square to that list. In the meantime, the NYPD’s acting on an emergency rule to ban those weapons in Times Square, with some exceptions for people like retired law enforcement, for example. At the Governor’s Midtown office Wednesday, Mayor Eric Adams blasted the Supreme Court ruling that led to this.

Eric Adams: (01:28)
I know the reality of having 475,000 people in Times Square in any given time. In any given time, that decision stated to them that they can carry a firearm. You cannot tell me this is not a feeling of being surreal in our city. We’re posting these signs: gun-free zones.

Derek Waller: (01:59)
And also starting today, new applicants for gun permits will also undergo state background checks, which will include character references and checks of the applicants’ social media. They’ll also have to undergo two types of training. The state will check on permit holders every month, and there are new requirements for tamper-proof containers to lock away a gun in either a home with someone under 18 or in a vehicle. Though already, there are legal challenges to this. I can tell you that a gun group upstate actually just lost their motion to stop this law from taking offense, but that Judge in Syracuse sounded kind of sympathetic to this group and even said that they should amend the filing and try again.