WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC thecity THE CITY - THE CITY SCOOP: NYPD Granting Fewer Gun Permits — After Supreme Court Struck Down Strict Standard

 

View this email in your browser If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, The NYPD, which vets firearm permits, received 4,663 applications for approval to carry a weapon in 2021. The department approved 2,591 of them — about 56%, all under a strict standard that the Supreme Court struck down the following year.  That standard required gun owners in New York to show “proper cause” in order to receive a permit to carry a weapon. But the Supreme Court said licenses should be granted by default unless there was a specific reason to deny an applicant.  In the six months after the high court’s ruling, the NYPD saw a surge in new gun permit applications: nearly 5,000, up from around 2,000 in the same period the year prior. So far, the department has approved 503 of those — or just above 10%, despite its guidelines and state law requiring applications to be decided upon within six months.  Relatively few applications have been flat-out denied. Most of the applications are still pending, an indication the NYPD’s permitting operation came to a standstill in the wake of the ruling, experts say. “‘Holy shoot, what do we do now?’” said attorney Peter Tilem, describing the conversations he suspected were playing out behind closed doors at the NYPD’s gun permitting department. “‘Let’s not decide anything and let’s figure out what our options are.’” Read more here. Some other items of note: The city’s fire and buildings departments have found roughly 60 lithium-ion batteries that violate the city electrical code at a SoHo e-bike charging hub operated by Grubhub and JOCO, a start-up e-bike rental company for delivery workers, resulting in four violations. A Grubhub spokesperson described the situation as a “misunderstanding,” while JOCO leaders said their equipment is fully compliant with the law. The 259 Bowery location opened last month to provide “continuous safe e-bike storage, battery exchange, and delivery rider gear.” Mayor Eric Adams helped cut the ribbon at the grand opening.  NYCHA is piloting a move to replace steam heaters with electric heat pumps that were created specifically for the agency, and cost under $3,000 to install. This month, the housing authority installed the heat pumps at 12 apartments inside the Woodside Houses — where residents lost heat and hot water for months in 2021 after boilers were damaged by flooding from Hurricane Ida. NYCHA will monitor how the heat pumps work; by May 2024, the agency says it will have an idea of the project’s success, incorporating feedback from residents and an outside evaluation. On City Island, historically a hub for harvesting and cultivating New York City’s once-colossal oyster population, a nonprofit and mostly volunteer group is working to coax the mollusks back. One way they’re doing it? With artificial reefs, made from shells collected at restaurants. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 hospitalizations, positivity rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday's Weather Rating: 7/10. A nice start, with high temperatures in the mid 80s and intermittent sunshine. Dew points are up a bit compared to the past few days, and we'll have a few scattered storms around later. Still, the vibes are pretty good out there! Things To Do Here’s what’s going on around the city this week. Saturday, July 29: Learn to ride a bike in Van Cortlandt Park, at a free event hosted by the Parks Department. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free.  Saturday, July 29: SummerStage continues with free concerts nearly every day. This Saturday’s event features Tuareg singer-songwriter and guitarist Mdou Moctar, who infuses “African influences with psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll.” Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free.  Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30: The 12th annual New York City Poetry Festival, featuring headliners Danez Smith, Franny Choi, Saeed Jones and torrin a. greathouse. Governors Island, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Free or sliding scale.  THE KICKER: “The finest place to live. I’ve been all over the world — Paris and Florence and Capri — and yet I come back here and I like this better than any place I’ve ever lived.”  — Tony Bennett, speaking about Astoria, Queens, where he was born and raised. The famed singer died last week at 96. Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday. Love, THE CITY P.S. If you liked something about today's newsletter, or didn't, let us know at zshah@thecity.nyc Sponsor message THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.