New York — The number of murders and shootings continued to decline in New York City in 2016, falling to its lowest level since the early 1990s, even as other cities like Chicago saw crime skyrocket.
According to statistics released by New York police on Wednesday, the largest American city, with some 8.5 million inhabitants, recorded 335 murders in 2016, a decrease of 4.8% compared to 2015.
Some 998 shootings still broke out in New York last year, but that’s 140 fewer than in 2015 (-12%) and their lowest level since such statistics were introduced in the early years. 1990.
New York Police Chief James O’Neill, promoted in September after the retirement of highly respected William Bratton, welcomed the continuation of a trend that began in the mid-1990s under Mayor Republican Rudy Giuliani.
“Crime is reduced despite spikes in violence in other American cities”, thanks to a community policing program and work “precise as the laser” in the face of gangs, he pointed out.
The number of gang-related shootings fell to 412 in 2016 from 560 in 2015, a drop of 25%.
By comparison, more than 760 homicides were committed in Chicago in 2016, a 20-year high, largely due to an increase in gang violence.
The Democratic mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, who is preparing his re-election campaign next November, felt that he was reaping the benefits of a strategy which, in addition to the emphasis on community policing, limits the very controversial arbitrary arrests with excavations (“stop-and-frisk”).
This strategy “builds trust between police and the public and empowers New Yorkers to take an active role in keeping their neighborhoods safe”he pointed out.
Unequal situation according to the districts
However, the situation remains very uneven depending on the neighborhood: the very rich Manhattan is the most spared while the Bronx, Queens or Brooklyn continue to shelter more dangerous corners.
And homicides mostly happen at night: about a third of murders and shootings in 2016 took place between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., pointed out the New York Times.
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