Gun violence hits nine-year low in City of Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The City of Buffalo is reporting that gun violence is at its lowest point in nine years. It's a great milestone that still shows a need for progress.

"Any one shooting, any one homicide is one too many" Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said.

The Mayor is contributing the low rates of gun violence to four main factors:

• Peace Keepers - that are 90% funded by the City
• Gun Violence Unit - that focuses on shooting events
• Custom Notification - a program that informs parents of their kids involvement in gang activity
• Buffalo Neighborhood Endangerment Team

The Mayor also believes that the ability to get teenagers off the streets and into jobs during the summer is a huge reason why gun violence is going down.

"We are at a historic high in terms of young people working this summer through the Mayor's Summer Youth Program."

Cracking down on gun violence is expected to continue as the city looks to lower rates even more.

"We are not resting, we are continuing to work, because we want to make sure that no one is getting shot in our community."