Crime is down sharply for a second straight week

Coronavirus has taken a bite out of Big Apple crime.

The overall crime rate in New York City plunged 22% for the week ended Sunday compared with the previous week despite a sharp rise in murders and burglaries, according to NYPD statistics released Monday.

It was the second straight week of declines since the city was virtually locked down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Police recorded 1,042 index crimes, the seven felonies that constitute the crime rate, from March 2329, Police Department data show.

That’s down nearly 300 crimes compared with 1,337 the week before.

There were five murders committed last week compared with only one the prior week, and 16 rapes, one more than the week before, while burglaries jumped 18%, to 204 from 173.

But robberies were down 25%, felonies declined 23%, grand larcenies fell 34% and the number of stolen autos dropped 6%.

Shootings also fell 44%, with nine victims compared with 16 the week before.

Misdemeanor assaults were down 27%, and petty larcenies also plunged.

As expected, police made fewer arrests last week.

There were 1,712 busts, compared with 2,506 the week before.

Despite the declining crime numbers, the crime rate is still up 13% for the year, with police saying in the weeks prior to the coronavirus outbreak that the bail and and other criminal justice reforms were to blame.

Reform advocates, meanwhile, accused police and prosecutors of fearmongering and ignoring the benefits of the new laws.