Jacobi Medical Center’s violence prevention program, Stand Up to Violence, held its ninth annual peace walk on Thursday.  

The walk started at the 49th Precinct and ended at the 47th Precinct. It’s held in June every year during Gun Violence Awareness Month, and brings attention to the gun violence that continues to plague the communities in New York City.  

Bronx resident and Stand Up to Violence outreach specialist Jonathan Kimble was shot in 2007, and also knows what it is like to lose a loved one to gun violence. He’s now made it his mission to help others avoid ending up in a situation like his.  

According to NYPD crime statistics, shootings are down by 26% this year compared to this same time in 2022. The NYPD credits this decline to proactive policing that has led to over 2,800 guns being taken off city streets this year.  

Stand Up to Violence is focusing on early intervention resources now to stop the violence from spreading to the younger population and to prevent it from happening in the first place.  

The NYPD has made over 1,800 gun arrests in the city this year, and Stand Up to Violence hopes that this leads to fewer shootings while kids are out of school for the summer.