(WENY) --  With shootings across New York continuing to fall, Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to make the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention a permanent part of state law. 

From January through May, shootings involving injury dropped 17 percent statewide and 21 percent in New York City. The number of people shot outside the city fell by 26 percent in counties included in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination program. 

“My top priority is public safety,” Hochul said. “By making this office permanent, we’re working directly with the communities most affected by gun violence and strengthening our approach to this public health crisis.” 

The office was initially created in 2021 and is now officially part of the Division of Criminal Justice Services. It helps coordinate prevention efforts across state and local agencies, leads public safety campaigns, and manages more than $300 million in state-funded violence reduction programs. 

This move comes as federal support for similar initiatives has been scaled back, including the closure of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and recent cuts to federal grants. 

Attorney General Letitia James called the permanent state office “critical,” adding, “All New Yorkers deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods, schools, and on our streets.” 

Since 2021, New York State Police have seized nearly 4,900 illegal guns and issued more than 5,500 extreme-risk protection orders to prevent individuals deemed a threat from obtaining firearms. Early data for June shows shooting