A Big Apple bloodbath

Murders soar as anti-cop pollies leave New Yorkers to the mercy of crims

NEW York City was plunged into blood-soaked scenes reminiscent of the high-crime 1980s as at least 22 people were shot over the weekend.

As the city considers an $A1.46 billion cut to its police budget, and police forces across the US grapple with a growing movement to defund them, new data from the NYPD showed a 79 per cent increase in murders for the first week of June. There was also a 64 per cent spike in shootings and a 402 per cent increase in burglaries in the city, which has been rocked by looting and rioting as part of nationwide unrest.

According to NYPD figures, car theft was also up 66 per cent, but there was also a 40 per cent decrease in arrests.

It came as almost threequarters of Washington DC’s cops said they were considering quitting.

Eight people were shot over nine hours in New York City from Saturday to Sunday, one of them fatally, according to the NYPD, while at least 22 were felled by gunfire over the 48 hours, according to reports.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s crusade against city cops has drawn the ire of officers, after the disbanding of a plainclothes anti-crime unit.

“This is what the politicians wanted — no bail, nobody in Rikers (Island Prison), cops not arresting anyone”, one police officer told the New York Post newspaper.

The city was in “crisis mode”, according to Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams.

“This is extremely alarming and concerning during a time where we are really pushing to end violence in our city and our communities, to have 19 people shot, 13 shootings is something we need to take extremely seriously,” Adams said earlier in the weekend.

By Friday last week, there had been 28 shootings and 38 victims across New York, including five murders, the Post said.

This compared to just 12 shootings for the entire same week last year.

The crime spike came after former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik said he knew of hundreds of officers leaving the force out of frustration.

Sergeants Benevolent Association Ed Mullins said the city’s leaders had failed to look after its police force in the unprecedented unrest.

“In my 16 years, this is, by far, probably the worst I’ve seen from upper management.

“Honestly, we feel alone out there. You go out and spend 17 hours on this day, and then you check your phone, and you have certain members of Congress, the governor, the mayor, and they’re saying that we’re not doing a good job.”