NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Crime in New York City is up 17% from last January, and the police union is blaming Mayor Bill De Blasio for the uptick.
The NYPD's crime statistics for January, released Tuesday, showed a 20% decline in murder but an increase of 29% in shooting incidents.
Incidents of rape were down 18%, but robbery, assault, burglary, and grand larceny were up. The highest jump was for grand larceny auto, which rose 73%. Incidents of hate crimes were down 24%.
"Every single member of the NYPD understands that behind each crime statistic is a victim who deserves justice," Police Commissioner Dermot Shea in a statement. "Through Neighborhood Policing and precision policing, our officers are fostering critical relationships with the communities they serve. The men and women of this department are second to none and they will continue to be relentless to address upticks in crime."
The president of the police union, Patrick Lynch, said in a statement that "we have a public safety emergency in New York City."
"This is what happens when our city leaderse sit silent or issue weak, belated statements when the mob in the street chants for 'dead cops.' For the past six years, Mayor de Blasio and many other elected officials have sent a single, clear message about their lack of support for law enforcement."
Shea and de Blasio live-streamed a press conference announcing the statistics and discussing the department's new Youth Coordination Officers, who will be focused on dealing with youth crime.
"The men and women of the NYPD work tirelessly to build bonds with the communities they serve. These efforts have made New York the safest big city in the country, and I want to thank our officers for always protecting the five boroughs," de Blasio said in a statement. "While we are sober about the challenges we faced last month, the NYPD will use data and targeted enforcement to fight crime. As we double down on our efforts, we will be building bonds with our youngest New Yorkers to make our city safer and fairer."