NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for March 2022

 

Police Commissioner

Keechant L. Sewell

Intelligence-Driven Policing, Neighborhood Safety Teams, and Quality-of-Life Enforcement Continues

For the month of March 2022, New York City saw a 15.8% drop in homicides compared to March 2021 (32 v. 38), as NYPD officers effected 28.2% more arrests in the seven major index crime categories (4,025 v. 3,140) in that same period.

Overall index crime increased by 36.5% in March 2022, compared to the same period a year ago (9,873 v. 7,232) – a total driven by a 59.4% increase in grand larceny auto (1,044 v. 655), a 48.4% increase in robbery (1,267 v. 854), and a 40.5% increase in grand larceny (4,078 v. v. 2,902). Citywide burglaries also increased by 40% (1,326 v. 947) in March 2022 compared to last year.

Citywide shooting incidents increased by 16.2% (115 v. 99) in March 2022 compared with the same period last year. The NYPD remains focused on eradicating gun violence and delivering just, effective policing. Officers made 410 gun arrests in March 2022, driving the 1,207 arrests for illegal firearms in the first quarter of 2022. This is the highest number of quarterly gun arrests since early 2021, when 1,385 such arrests were made.

“The NYPD will continue to provide fair, effective, and responsive policing that best reflects the needs of the communities we serve,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “But the NYPD needs the steadfast commitment of all its partners, pulling in the same direction, to realize our goal of public safety for every New Yorker.”

The crime statistics for March cap an historic period for an administration approaching its 100th day in office, and the NYPD remains focused on the drivers of crime and disorder in New York City. The NYPD’s eight patrol boroughs, along with detectives and intelligence analysts, work tirelessly every day to assimilate information and build strong, long-term investigations.

Taken together, the first three months of 2022 have been defined by successful takedowns of violent subjects and the seizure of caches of illegal guns – including traditional weapons and newly emerging firearms known as “ghost guns” that can be 3-D printed at home. These efforts highlight the critical collaboration and close working relationship between the NYPD, its federal law enforcement partners, and the city’s district attorneys.

Beginning in January 2022, more than 400 officers were hand-selected for the NYPD’s new Neighborhood Safety Teams. The first groups began their 50 hours of training over seven days on topics including constitutional policing, community engagement, law and tactics, critical thinking, communication, and de-escalation. Since their deployment on March 14, the first 218 of the officers assigned to these teams have been making a difference – effecting 121 arrests, including 25 for gun possession. And they continue to take illegal weapons off the streets while working in the 30 precincts and four Police Service Areas that accounted for 80% of the city’s shooting incidents in 2021. We are seizing record numbers of illegal firearms citywide.

“The officers doing this vital work are ensuring that these guns never victimize another New Yorker,” said Chief of Department Kenneth Corey. “This is the most dangerous kind of work we do, but it can have the greatest impact on public safety. Our officers are precisely targeting the small number of criminals willing to carry a gun, and to use it.”

To augment the mission of the Neighborhood Safety Teams, the NYPD in March announced a citywide initiative meant to address a rise in quality-of-life offenses that are often precursors to violence. The initiative is in direct response to the public-safety concerns of New Yorkers, and is driven by the specific needs and crime-complaints of people in each neighborhood.

“Today’s NYPD officers are expanding their focus by studying crime trends and monitoring community complaints, such as those to 311, that shed deeper insight into the geneses of crime,” said Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri. “Proactive engagement with offenders, relentless investigations and follow-up, and rapid deployment are proven methods to reduce crime and disorder on the streets, in the subways, or in public housing.”

The NYPD will never waver in its continuing fight on behalf of every New Yorker. The department’s efforts, though, are not exclusive and are closely linked to the work of its law enforcement and government partners. Turning the tide against shootings, thefts, and overall disorder relies on every stakeholder doing their part to achieve our shared public-safety vision for every New York City neighborhood.

*All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revision, or change.*

Index Crime Statistics: March 2022

	March 2022	March 2021	+/-	%
Murder	32	38	-6	-15.8%
Rape	134	140	-6	-4.3%
Robbery	1267	854	+413	+48.4%
Fel. Assault	1992	1696	+296	+17.5%
Burglary	1326	947	+379	+40.0%
Grand  Larceny	4078	2902	+1176	+40.5%
G.L.A.	1044	655	+389	+59.4%
TOTAL	9873	7232	+2641	+36.5%

Additional Statistics For March 2022

	March 2022	March 2021	+/-	%
Transit	108	118	+62	+52.5%
Housing	455	409	+46	+11.2%
Shooting  Incidents	115	99	+16	+16.2%

Rape Incident Reporting Statistics: March 2022

(Reports filed from March 1 – March 31 in years indicated)

Year	Total  Incidents  Reported	Incident  Occurred  Same Year	Incident  Occurred  Previous  Year	Incident  Occurred  2 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  3 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  4 Years  Prior	Incident  Occurred  5+ Years  Prior
2022	134	86	20	8	3	6	11
2021	140	90	18	9	2	4	17
2020	102	77	19	3	2	0	1
2019	158	118	17	6	4	0	13
2018	160	110	23	4	7	3	13
2017	110	84	18	3	1	0	4

Rape continues to be underreported. If you are a victim of sexual assault, please come forward. The 24-hour NYPD Special Victims Division hotline is: 212-267-RAPE (7273).

Hate Crimes Statistics Summary for March 2022

(Representing March 1st – March 31st for calendar years 2022 and 2021)

Motivation	2022	2021	+/-	% Change
Asian	17	32	-15	-47%
Black	7	5	+2	+40%
Disability	0	0	0	0%
Ethnic	3	1	+2	+200%
Gender	1	0	+1	--
Hispanic	0	2	-2	-100%
Jewish	23	12	+11	+92%
Muslim	2	1	+1	+100%
Religion	2	0	+2	--
Sexual Orientation	10	3	+7	+233%
White	0	0	0	0%
Grand Total	65	56	+9	+16%

Note: Statistics above are subject to change upon investigation, as active possible bias cases may be reclassified to non-bias cases and removed from counted data

Democratic District Leader Candidate Remy Salas brings Needed Food to Allerton Area

 

Tuesday, 80th Assembly District Male District Leader candidate Remy Salas brought one-hundred badly needed bags of assorted groceries along with fresh bags of grapes, and fresh ripe pineapples to the Allerton area in front of Giselle's Beauty Parlor at 2462 Williamsbridge Road to give out to those who came for a bag of groceries.

80th A.D. Male District Leader candidate Remy Salas pulls from the table much needed bags of groceries as his helper holds a bag of fresh grapes. Ripe pineapples below were also given out.

80th A.D. Male District Leader candidate Remy Salas puts a bag of groceries in this woman's wagon as his helper asks the woman if she wants a bag of grapes or a fresh ripe pineapple.

80th A.D. Male District Leader candidate Remy Salas holds a bag of groceries to give to the next person on line.

Attorney General James Secures $125,000 From Contractor for Violating Diversity Requirements in Public Works Project

 

The Pike Company Becomes Latest Contractor Fined Over MWBE Fraud in Rochester Schools Modernization Program

OAG Secures More Than $1.3 Million Total from Ten Contractors

  New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that her office secured $125,000 from a contractor that skirted diversity requirements in the Rochester Schools Modernization Program (RSMP). The Pike Company, a construction company based in Rochester, falsely certified that it complied with state diversity requirements when it subcontracted the supply of materials to several minority and women owned businesses (MWBEs). In reality, the Pike Company utilized non-MWBEs to procure those same materials. The Pike Company is one of ten contractors that have been found by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to have violated the diversity requirements for the project to upgrade Rochester’s schools and is the most recent company to be held accountable for its violations. This agreement ends the years-long investigation into allegations of MWBE fraud in RSMP and brings the total damages and penalties secured to more than $1.3 million.

“Including minority and women-owned businesses in public projects is meant to give opportunities to communities that have been historically left out, not for contractors to work around them,” said Attorney General James. “It’s a shame that the Pike Company and other contractors took the easy way out to minimize work with minority businesses. My office has no tolerance for companies that undermine the rule of law and cheat minority and women-owned businesses. I am committed to rooting out fraud and making sure that minority and women-owned businesses get their fair share.”

The RSMP is a three-phase, billion-dollar project to rehabilitate schools in Rochester and is the largest in the city’s history. The OAG started an investigation into RSMP after it received a whistleblower complaint alleging that contractors were evading MWBE requirements. The RSMP incorporated state law which requires contractors working on public projects to meet certain minimum diversity standards when hiring subcontractors. As such, all contractors working on the RSMP were required to use good faith efforts to subcontract at least 20 percent of their work to Eligible Business Enterprises (EBEs), with 15 percent required to go to minority-owned businesses and five percent to women-owned businesses. Compliance with these requirements was also a condition to being awarded contracts on RSMP and to receiving payment throughout the project.

The investigation by OAG found that some contractors, including the Pike Company, engaged in “pass-throughs,” where contractors would hire non-MWBEs to perform work, but then run the money and paperwork through the MWBE to create the appearance that they performed the work. They would then falsely certify compliance with the project’s diversity requirements to receive payment for work performed.

For example, the Pike Company claimed that a MWBE would provide more than $800,000 worth of doors, frames, and other hardware to fulfill Pike’s EBE requirement. However, the Pike Company ordered the equipment from a non-MWBE but submitted paperwork that gave the appearance that the MWBE supplied the materials itself.

The Pike Company will pay $100,000 to the state, a portion of which will go to the Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board (RJSCB), and $25,000 to the whistleblower.

As part of the agreement, the Pike Company is required to submit to extensive, multi-year compliance, remediation, and training. The OAG’s Civil Rights Bureau will actively monitor the contractors’ adherence to these requirements.

“We thank Attorney General James for her dedication to this important issue. The Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board has worked closely with the Office of the Attorney General since this issue came to its attention several years ago,” said Thomas Richards, chair, Rochester Joint Schools Construction Board. “The Board is committed to its diversity plan, which has ensured that minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises, as well as women and minorities in the workplace, have meaningful opportunities to participate in the Rochester Schools Modernization Program. As we move into Phase III of the program, we will continue to actively monitor diversity requirements to ensure the plan is implemented.”

Today’s agreement brings the overall recovery secured from contractors related to this project to more than $1.3 million.

The other contractors that violated RSMP’s diversity requirements include:

Bell Mechanical ($200,000);
Concord Electric Corporation ($350,000);
Manning Squires Hennig ($200,000);
Hewitt Young Electric, LLC ($160,000);
Michael A. Ferrauilo Plumbing & Heating, Inc. ($90,000);
Mark Cerrone, Inc. ($25,000);
Kaplan Schmidt Electric Inc. ($100,000);
Landry Mechanical Contractors, Inc. ($117,000); and
Nairy Mechanical, LLC ($12,000).

Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Verdict In U.S. V. Lawrence Ray

 “Twelve years ago, Larry Ray moved into his daughter’s dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College.  And when he got there, he met a group of friends who had their whole lives ahead of them.  For the next decade, he used violence, threats, and psychological abuse to try to control and destroy their lives.  He exploited them. He terrorized them. He tortured them. Let me be very clear. Larry Ray is a predator. An evil man who did evil things. Today’s verdict finally brings him to justice.  

This verdict would not have been possible without the victims who testified in court.  We are in awe of their bravery in the face of incredible trauma.  I also want to thank the career prosecutors in my Office, the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners, who stood with those victims and worked tirelessly to ensure that justice was done. Thank you.”  

MAYOR ADAMS PROMOTES GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY WITH NEW REFORM ACTIONS

 

New, User-Friendly Dynamic Mayor’s Management Report Provides Publicly Accessible Data to Easily Track City Agency Performance

 

Mayor Adams Signs Executive Order Designating New Chief Efficiency Office and Agency Chief Performance Officers to Improve Operations and Outcomes Across City Government

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the launch of a new online report that will allow New Yorkers to access up-to-date metrics on city agency performance. The Dynamic Mayor’s Management Report (DMMR) — a digital version of the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) — will be updated on a regular basis and offer New Yorkers with a user-friendly interface that will allow them to easily search for relevant data and comparative data analysis across several previous years — a major leap forward in New York’s public data offerings. The new tool highlights Mayor Adams’ commitments to promoting public accountability through data and shifting to a real-time governance system, which can help strengthen the equitable delivery of government services.

 

Mayor Adams also signed Executive Order 13, which formalizes the release of the DMMR. The order additionally creates a new role of chief efficiency officer at City Hall, appointed by the mayor, who is charged with working across city agencies to develop updated metrics to better track agency performance, increase customer satisfaction, identify opportunities to streamline regulations and reduce red tape, and assess the city budget to ensure public funds are being used efficiently and effectively.

 

“As I often say, if you don’t inspect what you expect, it’s all suspect,” said Mayor Adams. “When it comes to city government, we need to put in place real-time systems to inspect what we expect, tracking how well we’re delivering services to New Yorkers and identifying areas we need to improve. The launch of today’s Dynamic Mayor’s Management Report is a critical step forward in leveraging data to make our government work better for all New Yorkers.”

 

“This administration is focused on delivering for everyday New Yorkers — and to achieve that, we need to know if agencies are hitting their performance targets,” said First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo. “Working with Chief Efficiency Officer Melanie La Rocca and our partners in government, we are committed to ensuring agencies are fulfilling their mandates and providing services effectively and expeditiously.”

 

In addition to formalizing the release of the DMMR and creating the role of chief efficiency officer, the executive order ensures that every city agency will designate a chief performance officer, who will coordinate with the chief efficiency officer and the Mayor’s Office of Operations to develop and use performance metrics and data tools to improve the efficiency and efficacy of agency operations.

 

The executive order — along with other government efficiency initiatives Mayor Adams has undertaken since taking office — aims to reduce the “time tax,” which refers to the amount of time people spend trying to access government services. The time tax disproportionately affects those in the greatest need, deepening the profound inequalities throughout the city. 

 

“It speaks volumes about Mayor Adams’ commitment to improving government efficiency that he created a chief efficiency officer,” said City Hall Chief Efficiency Officer Melanie La Rocca. “Everyday New Yorkers should not have to spend hours navigating a bureaucracy to access basic services. We are off to a running start, and I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor and first deputy mayor to drive efficiency improvements across city government.”

 

“Mayor Adams ran on a platform of giving New Yorkers the tools and information to hold their government accountable,” said Mayor’s Office of Operations Director Daniel Steinberg. “Modernizing and democratizing the Mayor’s Management Report for the digital age marks a crucial step in making the city’s performance data more accessible, timely, and meaningful.”

 

The MMR is a national model for holding city government accountable through data. It is required to be published twice a year by Section 12 of the New York City Charter. The preliminary MMR, published in January, provided a snapshot of how the city is performing four months into the fiscal year. The full-fiscal MMR looks at the city’s performance across the whole of the previous fiscal year.

Attorney General James Sues Eviction Lawyers for Taking Advantage of New York Tenants

 

Balsamo Failed to Conduct Any Meaningful Reviews of Their Cases, Causing Tenants to be Wrongfully Sued or Evicted

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a lawsuit against Balsamo, Rosenblatt & Hall, P.C., A. Balsamo & Rosenblatt, P.C. (Balsamo), and its partners Robert Rosenblatt and Edward Hall for engaging in deceptive rent collection practices and initiating frivolous lawsuits against New York tenants. Following an investigation, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Balsamo, a Brooklyn-based real estate law firm retained largely by landlords, did not conduct any meaningful reviews of their non-payment eviction cases before filing litigation, resulting in the distribution of deceptive rent collection letters, unnecessary legal actions against tenants, and improper evictions without cause. In addition to penalties, Attorney General James seeks to stop Balsamo from all deceitful rent collection practices, suspend all unjustified cases against tenants, and return all the profits they have received from the unjustified cases.

“In failing to fulfill their basic responsibility, Balsamo caused untold trauma, stress, and financial hardship to New York tenants throughout the city,” said Attorney General James. “With each housing case, there is far too much at stake for lawyers to cut corners. We are talking about people’s ability to have a roof over their head — a right that Balsamo unjustly denied New Yorkers. This lawsuit is the first step in righting the wrongs done by unscrupulous landlords and their lawyers and reversing the negative impacts of their negligence on our communities. My office will continue to protect tenants and root out those that seek to unfairly threaten New Yorkers.”

The OAG launched an investigation into Balsamo in July 2020 following a complaint by a tenant who was wrongfully sued when Balsamo failed to take any steps to assess the case. The OAG found that it is Balsamo’s practice not to review crucial documents in the cases — such as leases or deeds — before issuing rent collection notices or commencing litigation, forcing New York tenants to defend frivolous lawsuits and leading to some tenants being improperly evicted. The OAG identified several instances of eviction throughout its investigation, including the case of Arturo Solis, who was improperly evicted twice due to Balsamo’s actions. Solis was first evicted in July 2017 after the law firm failed to thoroughly review any documents to support the legal conclusions in the petition, and as a result, named the wrong landlord in the court papers. While Solis’ first eviction was reversed, Balsamo improperly evicted Solis again in a new lawsuit in March 2018 after they failed to review and consider relevant documents that would have showed that the landlord had no right to collect rent or evict Solis. 

Attorney General James maintains that Balsamo’s housing court practice violates New York Executive Law, the Federal Debt Collection Practices Act, and the New York General Business Law.

In the suit, filed in Kings County Supreme Court, Attorney General James seeks to stop Balsamo’s illegal and unfair conduct, and force them to assess and discontinue all unjust cases or amend petitions to reflect actual amounts owed. The lawsuit also asks the court to order disgorgement of all profits that Balsamo has realized from litigating the frivolous cases and order them to pay fines and penalties in an amount to be determined by the court.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine - **Register Now** "Preparing for the New Wave of Covid" - A Community Q&A with Dr. Dara Kass (Thursday at 5pm)

 

Register Now!

Register HERE for our Digital Covid Q&A with Dr. Kass

Join Borough President Mark Levine for a live-streamed Q&A with Dr. Dara Kass, MD, HHS Regional Director for Region 2. We will take your questions on the current state of NYC’s vaccination effort, what you should do to prepare for a potential new surge in cases, and other important COVID related topics. To register for the live Zoom webinar you can register here. We will also be streaming the event on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Looking forward to seeing you there,

U.S. Citizen Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

 

Defendant Sought to Join the Islamic State in Libya, and Testified at Trial that He Would Again Seek to Join ISIS if Acquitted

 Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Bernard Raymond Augustine was sentenced by United States District Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. to 20 years’ imprisonment for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS” or “the Islamic State”).  Augustine, a U.S. citizen and California resident, was convicted by a federal jury after a one-week trial in August 2021. 

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.

“Today’s sentence ensures this dangerous defendant will not join ISIS as he tried to do in 2016, and testified at trial that he would do again if the jury acquitted him.  The trial evidence demonstrated that Augustine is a committed supporter of ISIS, that he glorified beheadings and other acts of terror, and that he intended to support the terrorist organization by encouraging more English speakers to join its ranks,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Detecting and thwarting terrorism and keeping the people of this country safe will always be priorities of this Office.”  Mr. Peace praised the work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force on the case.

“The sentence Mr. Augustine received today insures he will never achieve his stated ambition of joining ISIS and supporting the terrorist group's pursuit of its reprehensible goals.  Protecting our nation from terrorism in all its forms remains the FBI's top priority, and today's outcome is the latest example of our commitment to pursuing this mission both domestically and globally,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.

“Protecting our nation’s security is paramount, and this case illustrates our continued commitment to fight terrorism in every form, both here and abroad,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell.  “Any person who puts American lives at risk will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Justice Department’s National Security Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the members of the FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force, and everyone else who prevented this threat and kept Americans safe.”

The evidence at trial established that in February 2016, Augustine traveled from San Francisco, California to Northern Africa, with the goal of joining ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.  After arriving in Tunisia, Augustine was detained by local authorities before he could make it to ISIS-controlled territory across the border in Libya.  He was returned to the United States in 2018 and prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York.

In the months leading up to his travel, Augustine watched ISIS propaganda, including videos glorifying ISIS’s violence, such as “The Flames of War.”  He conducted internet searches for, among other things, “how to safely join ISIS,” and reviewed websites related to ISIS recruitment practices, including one titled “How does a Westerner join ISIS? Is there a recruitment or application process?”  Augustine also posted numerous statements in support of ISIS and violent extremism, such as “the Islamic State is the true Islam,” “Muslims who leave the west . . . answer the call for the struggle, and march until they are victorious or martyred are the true believers,” and the ISIS caliphate “can’t be established and maintained except through the blood of the mujahideen who practice the true belief.” 

The defendant represented himself at trial and testified that he maintained his interest in supporting ISIS.  Augustine testified that ISIS videos of members executing Syrian captives and beheadings were “good” and “really cool.”  He admitted that one way he intended to provide material support to ISIS was to participate in ISIS propaganda videos, by providing the necessary English-language voice over.  When asked to confirm his testimony that he “would do it all again and would go back today,” Augustine responded, “No, tomorrow, when they let me off.”