Crime down citywide, though murders show increase

Crime is on the decline in New York City, and even more so in Brooklyn, according to the NYPD — though murders appear to  be on the uptick.

“We are proud that we are pushing crime even lower, despite our record low last year,” said Police Commissioner William Bratton. “We’ll continue building new relationships in our communities to better address crime and concerns in particular neighborhoods, making this city safe and fair, everywhere.”

While citywide, crime is down 3.1 percent year to date compared to 2014, with 2,817 fewer crimes, the citywide crime statistics for October are even more striking — down 5.9 percent, with the month deemed the “safest month in the modern era” of the New York City Police Department, according to Bratton.

However, year to date, there have been 21 more murders citywide than at this point in 2014 (7.7 percent), and 48 more rapes (4.2 percent), though October showed a citywide decline of four murders ((12.5 percent), and 22 fewer rapes (16.8 percent)  compared to October, 2014.

In  Brooklyn — which is divided into two areas, Brooklyn North, comprising 10 precincts from Williamsburg and Bushwick to East New York, and Brooklyn South, comprising 13 precincts from Cobble Hill and Red Hook to Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay — the declines reported by the NYPD through its CompStat program are even greater. CompStat tracks the seven index crimes: murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.

Year to date, Brooklyn North reported a total of 13,487 index crimes, down 7.04 percent from the number of crimes reported at the same point in 2014: 14,487. In Brooklyn South, the total number of crimes as of November 1 was 13,585, down 6.04 percent from the total of 14,459 reported on November 1, 2014. The 28-day decline in Brooklyn North as through November 1 was 6.52 percent; in Brooklyn South, the 28-day decline through November 1 was 6.70 percent.

That said, in Brooklyn South, both murder and rape have shown increases.

According to CompStat, there have been 47 murders in the area year to date, up from 39 in 2014, for a 20.5 percent increase; rapes in Brooklyn South are up 14.8 percent, with 186 reported so far in 2015, compared to 162 reported at this time last year. In addition, GLAs in Brooklyn South are also up, 6.5 percent year to date, with 1,076 so far in 2015 compared to 1,010 in 2014.

However, mirroring the citywide decrease in crime reported for October, both murder and rape are significantly down in Brooklyn South for the 28-day period ending November 1, with a 37.5 percent decrease in the number of murders (five, compared to eight in 2014) and a 28.6 decrease in the number of rapes (10, compared to 14 at this point in 2014).

In Brooklyn North, the only crime category to show an increase in 2015 over 2014 is murder. There have been 69 in the area year to date in 2015, compared to 66 at this point in 2014, for an increase of 4.5 percent. Running counter to the citywide numbers, the number of murders in Brooklyn North rose during the 28-day period ending November 1, with eight in 2015, compared to seven the prior year.

The most dramatic decrease in Brooklyn North has been in the category of Grand Larceny Auto, down 14.2 percent year to date, with 993 incidents, compared to 1,157 at this point in 2014. In addition, the number of burglaries has plunged, down 11.1 percent, year to date, with 2,302, compared to 2,588 at this time last year.

In Brooklyn South, the largest decline in 2015 was in the category of grand larceny, with 5,272 year to date, compared to 5,831 at this time last year. Also significantly down are burglaries, with 2,261 reported in the area year to date, compared to 2,481 at the same time last year, for a decrease of 8.9 percent.

“We have the right approach for driving down crime, and we have factual evidence of that,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this year. “We have the right approach for turning the tide and I think the approach will deepen this year and be ever more effective.”