The Big Apple has taken another bite out of crime.
According to FBI figures released yesterday, crime dropped 5.8 percent in 2003.
“New York City has not only retained its title as the safest big city in the country, it has defied the odds and become even safer,” Mayor Bloomberg boasted yesterday as he announced the new data.
Of the nation’s 230 cities with 100,000 or more people, New York now ranks a stellar 211th in crime rate – an improvement from 203rd last year and safer than most other major cities, including Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The data is based on the FBI crime index, which ranks cities from worst to best based on the number of crimes per 100,000 people.
“What’s more they’ve also been able to drive crime down even lower with fewer officers and with the added responsibilities related to counter-terrorism,” Bloomberg said.
During the recent fiscal crisis, Bloomberg cut the police force by about 5,000 officers, to 37,000.
Union leaders quickly denounced the FBI data and accused the city of fudging the numbers.
“The pressure on these commanding officers is incredible to keep crime down despite the fact that each precinct has 70 fewer cops than in 1999,” said Pat Lynch, president of the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association.
Three precincts – the 10th in Chelsea, the 50th in The Bronx and the 112th in Queens – are currently under investigation for allegedly altering statistics.
Bloomberg adamantly denied Lynch’s charges. “It’s an insult to the people that work in this city,” he said. “Come on, these are FBI numbers – do you really think somebody’s going to convince the FBI to falsify data?”
He acknowledged that some of the data could be incorrect, “but if you question one out of a thousand, it doesn’t change the numbers.”
“I don’t know where you live if you’re not out in the streets and you don’t see it,” he said.
Dr. James O’Keefe, a former director of the NYPD training academy who teaches criminal justice at St. John’s University, attributed the decrease to the city’s crime-fighting tool, CompStat.
CompStat tracks the areas where the most crimes occur, so that the NYPD can focus its resources in those areas.
O’Keefe said several cities across the country have adopted this program and “they all experienced a reduction in crime right away.”
While Police Commissioner Ray Kelly touted the CompStat program, he attributed the drop to “outstanding efforts” of his officers.
“If there’s one single reason for the reduction in crime, it is the quality and the dedication of New York City police officers,” Kelly said.
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Taking a plunge
Murder – Rape – Robbery – Felony Assault – Burglary – Grand Larceny – Auto Theft
Citywide
’04 208 765 8,493 6,591 9,741 16,786 7,668
’03 216 745 9,106 6,800 10,214 16,202 8,630
Manhattan South
’04 8 57 793 529 1,096 5,490 380
’03 12 39 851 554 1,325 5,268 409
Manhattan North
’04 20 95 1,158 854 857 2,200 529
’03 24 85 1,210 827 849 2,003 530
Bronx
’04 48 163 1,724 1,620 1,622 1,584 1,527
’03 41 200 1,731 1,652 1,707 1,610 1,712
Brooklyn South
’04 35 111 1,531 986 1,857 2,373 1,540
’03 47 104 1,656 1,068 1,937 2,200 1,726
Brooklyn North
’04 54 155 1,496 1,276 1,363 1,479 1,003
’03 43 135 1,696 1,245 1,417 1,351 1,057
Queens South
’04 25 91 707 566 1,001 1,180 1,076
’03 31 81 793 636 959 1,168 1,372
Queens North
’04 13 75 938 580 1,651 2,074 1,392
’03 15 79 1,054 674 1,723 2,191 1,558
Staten Island
’04 5 18 146 180 294 406 221
’03 3 22 115 144 297 411 266
Source: NYPD. Compares the period from Jan. 1, 2003, to May 23, 2003, with Jan. 1, 2004, to May 23, 2004