Citywide Overall Crime Continues to Decline in February 2019

There were 736 Fewer Index Crimes in February 2019 Compared to February 2018

This February, New York City experienced 10.8% less index crime than in February 2018. Despite that reduction in overall crime, the NYPD will implement a five- point plan that takes aim at the increase in violent crime in several Patrol Boroughs throughout the City. This plan includes:

1. Precision Deployments: Highly-focused distribution of additional uniformed personnel will occur in four initial commands based on a thorough analysis of crime conditions. These conditions will be reassessed each week and adjustments will be made accordingly.
2. Strengthen Gun Prosecutions: Working closely with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office on ensuring strong gun prosecutions.
3. Expansion of CeaseFire Program: The program in which violent crime is combatted by providing interventions to known gang members will now occur in additional areas of Brooklyn and the Bronx.
4. Launch Re-EntryStat: Re-EntryStat: will marshal the resources of parole, probation, district attorneys and other partner agencies to ensure resources are provided to individuals re-entering the community from the prison system.
5. Domestic Violence Gun Investigations: Intensive investigations by members of the Intelligence Bureau partnered with Domestic Violence Officers in any domestic violence case involving a firearm.

"New York City has seen massive overall reductions over the years and I'm proud of the work our members on the ground do to continually focus – very precisely – on the real drivers of crime," said Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill. "Through the next iteration of Neighborhood Policing, we are bringing together fellow city agencies, elected officials and neighborhood leaders to build trust, strengthen relationships and take action together to further drive down crime and violence."

"With crime at a record low in New York City, there is still more work to do to ensure that every New Yorker feels safe in their neighborhood," said Mayor de Blasio. "I have full confidence that the NYPD will stop this recent surge in its tracks and make our City safer."

“I am committed to expanding the gains in public safety that we achieved over the last few years and to addressing any change in homicides. We will enhance cooperation with the NYPD and expand partnerships with community groups and violence interrupters, among other proactive approaches, to make sure that the historic lows are maintained. I am encouraged by the overall reduction in major crime categories and confident that the steps announced today will help us stem any pockets of violence. I am resolved to continue to keep everyone in Brooklyn safe and strengthen community trust,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

Additional uniformed personnel will be deployed in the 34th, 43rd, 79th, and 113th Precincts. In each command, eight additional officers will be strategically deployed at high-visibility locations at critical times, based upon continuous CompStat analysis. The Strategic Response Group will also provide an additional layer of resources and visibility in these commands. The Warrants Section, working closely with the Detective Bureau, will focus efforts on apprehending top offenders and violent criminals with open warrants. Each of these commands will be evaluated on a weekly basis.

To combat an increase in homicides centered in Brooklyn, the Department will further enhance its strong working relationship with prosecutors in the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Top NYPD executives in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice will work collaboratively to ensure that those who illegally carry or commit crimes with firearms will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

In order to provide young people an alternative to gangs and to prevent retaliatory violence, the CeaseFire program will expand in the 60th and 70th Precincts in Brooklyn as well as Police Service Area (PSA) 1. CeaseFire will also expand to the 43rd and 48th Precincts in the Bronx.

The NYPD is also launching a new program, Re-EntryStat, which will closely monitor and analyze the resources provided to people who are re-entering their communities upon release from prison. The goal will be to ensure that they do not go on to become the victim of a crime or commit crimes.

A review of domestic incidents from the calendar year 2018 shows there were 27 shooting incidents and 19 homicides by gun. As a result, a pilot program was launched in which the Intelligence Bureau and command-level Field Intelligence and Domestic Violence Officers conduct intensive investigations in each domestic violence case where a firearm is used or access to a firearm is suspected. Thus far, 56 firearms have been recovered under this pilot program. In 2019 year-to-date, there has not been a domestic violence homicide by gun.

Key highlights from this month's crime statistics include:

• A -10.8% reduction in index crime in February 2019 (6,056), compared to February 2018 (6,792).
• Transit crime up 5.6% in February 2019 compared to February 2018.
• Housing crime up 4% in February 2019 compared to February 2018.
• Robberies, felony assaults, burglaries, grand larceny and grand larceny auto are all down -8.0%, -9.9%, -16.4%, -12.5% and -3.3% in February 2019 compared to February 2018, respectively.

Statistics on Index Crimes 2018-2019

	Feb. 2019	Feb. 2018	Change	+/-%	Year-to-Date 2019	Year-to-Date 2018	Change	+/-%
Murder	24	16	8	-50.00%	52	38	14	36.80%
Rape	133	122	11	9.00%	285	240	45	18.80%
Robbery	866	941	-75	-8.00%	1801	2088	-287	-7.90%
Felony Assault	1240	1376	-136	-9.90%	2682	2913	-230	-7.90%
Burglary	715	855	-140	-16.40%	1616	1860	-244	-13.10%
Grand Larceny	2754	3147	-393	-12.50%	6085	6543	-458	-7.00%
G.L.A.	324	335	-11	-3.30%	673	748	-75	-10.00%
TOTAL	6056	6792	-736	-10.80%	13195	14430	-1235	-8.60%

Additional Statistics on Crimes 2017-2018

	Feb. 2019	Feb. 2018	Change	+/-%	Year-to-Date 2019	Year-to-Date 2018	Change	+/-%
Transit	189	179	10	5.60%	387	378	9	-2.40%
Housing	341	328	13	4.00%	705	729	-24	-3.30%
Shooting Incidents	42	36	6	16.70%	93	95	-2	-2.10%

February Rape Breakdowns

CompStat Year	Count	Occurred Same Year	Occurred Previous Year	Occurred 2 Years Prior	Occurred 3 Years Prior	Occurred 4 Years Prior	Occurred 5+ Years Prior
2019	133	96	24	1	3	1	8
2018	122	83	17	7	1	1	13
2017	88	66	14	2	0	1	5
2016	109	79	16	4	2	1	7
2015	80	56	14	2	1	2	5
2014	89	65	12	5	3	0	4

Note: All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revisions, or change.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The 43rd precinct has been designated by the NYPD as one of the four precincts where crime has spiked the most. Eight officers will be reassigned to the 43rd precinct from other Bronx precincts. 

By doing that the NYPD will only move crime from one precinct to other Bronx precincts. The real problem is that the manpower at the precinct level has not kept up with the attrition level. Any new officers are replacing officers who have retired or were reassigned to other duties. There has been nio net gain in officers at the precinct level, and according to several precinct commanders there has been a decrease in the number of officers at the precinct level.