Actually reducing crime would undermine their momentum to decimate the 2A, it's not what Bloomberg wants.
This is his play book almost identical to what happened in Maryland last year (except for the republican Governor here).
Bloomberg met with MD legislators a week or 2 before lobby day and gave them the play book.
In similar fashion to the above, all proposed legislation increasing penalties for actual criminals failed, however if you'd never had a speeding ticket and were legislated a felon via new gun laws, violations all carried 5 year mandatory minimums
The other thing you can expect is for them to delay hearing on HB 961 (the worst) till the wee hours when most have gone home.
In Maryland last year it was the outright ban of all AR-15 platform rifles (hearing pushed till 3:00 am and time allotted for speakers reduced from 3 min to 1). Mom's were mostly gone, but we stayed!