New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday said he has declared “a disaster emergency on gun violence” amid a spate of homicides and shootings in New York City and other metropolitan areas in the state. Describing the shootings as a “public health crisis,” Cuomo said the “declaration will allow us to give this crisis the full attention [and] resources it deserves.” The state will target areas that have frequent shootings and homicides—which Democrat officials often refer to as “gun violence”—by using the same model used to deal with COVID-19, Cuomo said. That entails treating shootings like a public health emergency, targeting crime hotspots, curbing the sale of illegal firearms, rebuilding trust between communities and local law enforcement, and other initiatives. The state will require large police departments such as the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to submit “incident-level data” on shootings so hotspots can be tracked. “If you can beat COVID, you …