NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Murders and shootings are slightly up in New York City in 2019, compared to 2018, based on data put out by the New York Police Department Monday.
The report, compiled by NYPD officials, found 249 murders in the city from Jan. 1 to Oct. 6, up just about 1% from the 246 murders in the same period in 2018.
The difference was during the most recent month, when there were 32 murders in the four weeks leading up to Oct. 6 this year, compared to 25 last year.
Shootings are up a bit more, 4.7%, from 597 during the period in 2018 to 625 shootings this year.
The total crime rate, however, dropped from this period in last year, from 73,608 during the period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 6 to 71,699 in 2019, a fall of 2.6%.
"While crime in New York City remains down thanks to the tireless work of the men and women of the police department working in close partnership with community members, we are focused on violent crime and the persistence of gun violence,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said in a statement. “We continue to work with our partners in law enforcement, and in the communities we serve, to combat this criminal activity and ensure safety in every neighborhood.”
NYPD spokeswoman Devora Kaye said in a statement, “There have been steep crime declines in recent years and with fewer than 300 homicides in each of the last two years, New York City has achieved remarkable progress in reducing violence and keeping residents safe.”
The number of murders rose in upper Manhattan, which saw 29 murders this year, compared to 18 last year in the same period, and 86 shootings this year, compared to 61 in the same period in 2018.
Police officials have blamed the uptick in shootings on small, neighborhood gangs particularly in northern Brooklyn, upper Manhattan and parts of Queens.