The good news: Most major crimes so far this year are down slightly from the same period in 2022, a sign Mayor Eric Adams’ approach is starting to turn things around.
Homicides dropped from 168 to 146.
Not so good news: Total crime numbers, incl non– Major crimes are almost 1% higher than in the first five months of last year.
This reflects, among other things, the epidemic of retail theft and other “misdemeanors.” (And the numbers don’t reflect the likely increase in crimes don’t do report because traders don’t see the point.)
Totally bad news: The city still has a ways to go to reach the levels it saw before the state’s “criminal justice reforms,” crime soared — and then skyrocketed during the lockdown.
Every major crime category is still there two-digit A jump from 2018, when crime levels were 34% lower.
Statistics per NYPD:
- Murders are up 30% compared to five years ago.
- Robberies are up a quarter.
- felonious assault, 35%.
- Car theft, a full 217%.
This does not mean that smaller gains over the previous year are meaningless. But they are critical: The NYPD has adapted, but the criminals adapt in turn.
So New Yorkers have reason to worry as the (usually more violent) summer months approach.
Especially when high-profile horrors keep happening. Most recently, cities seen:
Meanwhile, the NYPD headcount stands as follows The shortest in decades.
Cops are retiring or resigning faster than the city can replace them — and experience can’t The change will also be made if the police ranks start to rise to the funded level.
In addition, state support for more police overtime patrols to reduce subway crime will eventually end.
And a fixed (or shrinking) number of police can only do so much OT, anyway.
The NYPD is “doing more with less,” Commissioner Keith Sewell admitted at a recent City Council hearing.
That admission should have set off alarm bells at City Hall.
Adams prioritized public safety (although he did not seek to increase the size of the force).
And he has reached a fair new police agreement that could stop the shrinking of the ranks.
But he’s stuck with city and state lawmakers who prioritize the needs of criminals over those of children, the elderly and the general law-abiding public.
Unless and until that changes, the mayor’s only hope of keeping crime down may be to start budgeting for a bigger force.
