Crime down citywide, Brooklyn too

It’s an all-time-low.

Last year, 2014, saw the fewest murders in recorded city history – 332 — as well as the lowest robbery and burglary rates in the past 10 years, announced Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton on Monday, January 5.

In addition, the pair announced, overall index crime is down close to five percent citywide while housing crime is down six percent, and marijuana arrests are down 10.5 percent. The seven index crimes are murder, rape, robbery, burglary, felonious assault, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.

“Keeping New Yorkers safe from harm is our top priority – and our officers’ commitment to safe neighborhoods is clearly reflected in last year’s record low crime rates,” said the mayor. “We know that the path toward an even-safer city is rooted in closer bonds between police and the communities they serve.”

Piggybacking the citywide stats, in Brooklyn North, murder dropped 11.8 percent from 2013 with 75 total murders in 2014, 10 fewer than the year before (as of December 28) while, in Brooklyn South, murder dropped close to 34 percent from 2013 with 41 total murders in 2014 as of December 28, 21 fewer than the year before.

Despite being up 3.8 percent in the number of shooting victims (248 in 2014 versus 239 in 2013), Brooklyn South is down more than 10 percent in both rape and robbery. Brooklyn North shows a similar pattern, up 5.5 percent in the number of shooting victims (367 in 2014 versus 348 in 2013) but down close to five percent in rape and 14 percent in robbery.

According to statistics, from 2005 to 2011 the city clocked in close to 500 murders each year (a whopping 600 in 2006), but, in 2013 and 2014, the total number of murders was closer to 300.

The reductions occurred despite the stop and frisk reforms that came into being after de Blasio became mayor. The number of complaints about police conduct made to the Civilian Complaint Review Board went down 11 percent in 2014, the mayor said.

“As we begin the New Year, we will build on last year’s momentum to ensure the world’s greatest police department keeps getting better, and to ensure we keep our residents and our officers safe from harm,” said de Blasio.