Thefts up, murder down in city: stats

New York City continued to see a spike in shootings and other major crimes this year, even as murders across the five boroughs are down.

As of Sunday, robberies jumped nearly 35%, shootings increased 23% and burglaries spiked 22% compared to the same time period last year, according to the NYPD’s CompStat data released Monday. Vehicle thefts were up more than 75%.

The number of murders fell to 25 so far this year compared to 31 in the same time period of 2019, a 19% drop. Rapes were also down 19% — 116 this year compared to 143 in the same period last year.

Last week, NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea linked the increase in crimes to the new state criminal justice and bail reform laws, which requires judges to release suspects without bail for most misdemeanors and some felonies.

The new laws also require prosecutors to turn over evidence in cases, including the names of victims and witnesses, to defense lawyers within 15 days.

Shea called for parts of the law to be changed.

“People say, ‘It just took effect — you can’t have consequences,” Shea said last week. “Take a look at the CompStat sheet.”

Advocates have called criticism of the law fear-mongering, and say the reforms have leveled the playing field for poor people who can’t afford bail and were typically more likely to plead guilty, true or not, just to get out of jail as they await prosecution.