h. nazan ışık—

6 January 2017—

“The year 2016 – the fewest ever overall major crimes in New York City, the fewest ever shootings in New York City, the fewest ever robberies in New York City, and finally, the fewest ever burglaries in New York City” said Mayor de Blasio at the ‘Year-End Crime’ Press Conference which was held at the Brooklyn Museum on 4 January 2017.

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(From left to right) Chief of Department Carlos Gomez (sitting) Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce at the “year-end crime” press conference

According to data released by the de Blasio administration New York City’s crime stats reached a new historic low in 2016 since modern record keeping began. For 2016, there were 101,606 crimes reported in New York City, compared with 105,921 in 2015. There was a reduction of 4,315 crimes, or -4.1%.

According to data: there were 335 murders reported in 2016, a 4.8 % reduction compare with 352 in 2015.

There were 1,436 rapes reported in 2016, a 1% reduction compared with 1,450 in 2015.

There were 15,489 robberies reported in 2016, an 8.7% reduction compared with 16,971 in 2015.

Police leaders and Mayor de Blasio explained how the NYPD managed to keep crime low, and credited their ‘neighborhood policing plan’, a deep partnership between police and community, and ‘precision policing’ with it.

Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce: “So, the precision policing strategy, some data driven policing – identify the worst individuals across the city. Like any crime, we have the same people committing that crime – career burglars, career robbers, and we have gang members who are career shooters. We found out that the same people who were carrying guns, the same who were witnessing crimes, and the same people who were committing crimes. So, we identified them then we started going after them.”

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill: “We’ve restructured how the NYPD is organized. We have almost all of our investigators now reporting to Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce. We’ve zeroed in on a relatively small population of people who commit most of the violent crimes in the City. With Bob’s guidance last year we conducted about 100 targeted takedowns; medium and long-term investigations into gang and crew violence, narcotics flowing, and other criminal activities. And we have locked up somewhere north of 1,000 people in these takedowns. That kind of precision policing is what is going to keep New York City on the right track,” said.

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It wasn’t only the “Year-end Crime Statistics” press conference, held at the Brooklyn Museum but also there was a photo exhibit to show New York in 1980’s and 1990’s and to compare same locations with today’s New York.

Commissioner O’Neill said: “I know many of you were around in the City during the early 80s and 90s when crime was at its peak; when murders topped 2,200 a year. And you couldn’t tell what color the subway covers because they were all covered with graffiti. I remember that vividly. And I can tell you firsthand it was a very different city back then.” And he continued: “I know everyone here had a chance to walk around and view the photo exhibit and hopefully talk to each other about the incredible changes our great city has experienced in the past 20 and 25 years.”

“Crime has gone down three years running and we intend to drive it down more,” said Mayor de Blasio.

Photos: © h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN

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