New data from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office shows shooting incidents are down in Mount Vernon and are up in Yonkers. “I feel much better because you can see the improvement," says Mount Vernon resident Fitzroy Green. “It's not very surprising," says Yonkers resident Terri Emery.

This report shows data from January 2024 to August 2024 and January 2025 to August 2025.

In Mount Vernon, 10 shootings were reported during that time period in 2024. So far in 2025, there have been eight.

Some are skeptical. “I hear about shootings every now and then and I don’t know, down, I couldn’t agree to that," says Mount Vernon resident Raymond Bryant.

City leaders believe it’s in part because of their programs and outreach. “We have our Recreation Youth Bureau, our Youth Shelter, our SNUG program. It’s a community effort of everybody working together," says Mount Vernon Police Chief Marcel Olifiers.

In Yonkers, seven shooting incidents were reported during that time in 2024. So far this year, there have been 12. Despite the increase, Yonkers police say gun violence in the city has been trending downward compared to a historic low seen in 2024.

“I’ve lived here my whole life so it definitely is something is always in the back of my mind, I’m worried about it," says Yonkers resident Arda Balca.

State officials say the Gun Involved Violence Elimination Program, also known as GIVE, has been a big help with reducing the number of shootings statewide. The program covers equipment, overtime, personel costs and training for local and county police departments.

But some say more needs to be done. “More police presence is needed," says Emery. "Officers on the corner of an area that they know is not very good.”