Crime in New York City continues to rise despite the efforts of the Mayor’s Office and the NYPD.
According to NYPD statistics, serious crimes in the city increased by 58.7%, from 5,759 reported crimes in February 2021 to 9,138 reported crimes last February. All crime categories saw an increase last month, with the exception of citywide shooting incidents which were down 1.3%.
That followed a January in which serious crimes increased by more than 38% year over year. Although murders were down in January 2022, homicides increased slightly, by 10.3%, during February, with 32 murders reported compared to 29 in February 2021.
Robberies increased from 818 in 2021 to 1,276 (a 56% increase), while robberies also increased by 43.9% (1,186 in 2022 compared to 824 in 2021).
Felony assaults increased 22.3%, from 1,361 in 2021 to 1,665 in 2022, and grand thefts increased from 2,099 crimes in 2021 to 3,762 (a whopping 79.2% increase). Auto thefts saw another big spike last month with 1,083 crimes reported; Compared to 529 in 2021, this marks a 104.7% year-over-year increase.
Hate crimes saw some staggering increases throughout February 2022: Overall, hate crimes increased 189%, with 107 reported cases compared to 37 in February 2021. One of the biggest spikes was the number of reported anti-Semitic crimes which increased by 409%, with 56 reported. cases compared to 11 in the same period last year.
Hate crimes against Asians increased 125%, with 9 crimes reported last month compared to 4 in February 2021, and crimes against Blacks increased 100% with 16 crimes reported compared to 8 in 2021.
The number of reported rape crimes increased with 134 reported incidents compared to 99 in 2021 (an increase of 35.4%), but the NYPD acknowledged that rapes remain unreported.
The increases come during the first two months of the administrations of Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, who have made fighting crime a top priority as they seek to reverse rising crime trends experienced during their tenure. end of former Mayor Bill de Blasio.
As gun crime has increased across the city, both Adams and Sewell have sought help in getting illegal guns off the streets. In February, President Joe Biden promised federal funds for that effort.
Adams also unveiled a comprehensive subway security plan that increased police presence, hoping to reverse violent crime and instill a sense of security as the city continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He also met with state lawmakers last month in an effort to seek changes to bail reform laws that would close loopholes that would allow violent criminals to return to the streets quickly.
“The men and women of the New York City Police Department are proactively addressing the root causes of criminal behavior,” Sewell said. “
The NYPD will never back down, and the department has made too much progress over decades, and invested too much in the communities it serves, to go backwards by any measure. New Yorkers deserve better.”
–
