With few exceptions, crime continues to be on the rise throughout New York City.
According to NYPD statistics, crime in New York City increased by 15.2%, with 11,057 crimes in September 2022 compared to 9,596 in September 2021. Almost every category of crime increased last month, with the exceptions being murder, which saw a 23.5% decrease in September 2022 with 39 reported cases compared to 51 in September 2021, and felony assaults decreased from 2,218 crimes in September 2021 to 2,189 in September 2022, a slight 1.3% decrease.
The number of grand larcenies saw a 21.3% increase from 3,753 crimes in September 2021 to 4,552 crimes in September 2022, and burglaries rose 22.7% from 1,148 in September 2021 to 1,409 in September 2022. Robberies saw a 16.4% increase compared to September 2021 (1,508 last month compared to 1,295 in 2021).
Auto theft incidents increased from 1,000 in September 2021 to 1,215 in September 2022, a 21.5% increase, while rape increased from 131 in September 2021 to 145 in September 2022. The NYPD acknowledges that rape continues to be underreported.
“One crime victim is one victim too many, and the hardworking women and men of the NYPD are committed to ensuring that no one – in any New York City neighborhood – is harmed by violence or disorder,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “Our strategies to suppress violence, to seize illegal guns, and to hold criminals accountable for their actions are beginning to gain traction. But the NYPD cannot shoulder this work alone. Our entire criminal justice system, and all of our government and community partners, must pull in the same direction and remain focused on our shared goal: the safety of everyone who lives, works, and visits New York City. We have seen too much revolving-door recidivism. We have seen too many well-intentioned reforms exploited. Most importantly, we must shatter the perception among criminals that there are no consequences for violent crime, and realign our system to center on those who matter most: crime victims. At the NYPD, we will never stop delivering on our public-safety promise, and we need every sector of our society to make the same pledge to see that promise fully realized.”
The number of citywide gun arrests in the first three quarters of 2022 stands at a 27-year-high. Citywide shooting incidents decreased by 13.2% (118 v. 136), driven by significant declines in Brooklyn, southern Queens, the Bronx, and northern Manhattan.
Citywide gun arrests in September rose by 7.4% compared to the number of gun arrests effected in September 2021, and is driving a 5.0% increase in gun arrests through the first nine months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021. The NYPD noted that 13 victims and 13% of arrests in shootings involved people 18 years old.
“We will not take our foot off the gas, we will continue to fight crime and remain hard,” said Sewell.
“Our cops are active. We are out there,” said Chief of Transit James Wilcox.
Additional reporting by Lloyd Mitchell.
