Revisiting NYPD’s Crime Claims

l The Post says Mayor de Blasio is a “Pollyanna” to argue that crime is under control, when both murder and rape are up by more than 5 percent. The editorial implies the “roll back” of stopandfrisk encounters has unleashed a crime wave (“Mayor Pollyanna,” Sept. 22).

A little history might be instructive. In 2010, there were nearly 20 times more stopand-frisks than there are now, and yet crime rose in every violentcrime category, including nearly 14 percent increases in both murder and rape. Through Sept. 20 that year, there were 135 more murders, 241 more shootings, 1,556 more robberies and 2,651 more burglaries than there have been this year.

In 2011, when stopandfrisk hit its alltime high, overall crime went up and there were increases in five of the seven major index crime categories, including every violent crime but murder.

In 2012, overall crime went up again, with jumps in robbery, rape, assault, burglary and grand larceny.

Mayor de Blasio’s first year saw declines in six of seven major index crimes — only auto theft was up. Nearing the end of his second year in of fice, the mayor is on track to record the lowest and thirdlowest years for murder since the 1950s, the two lowest years for robbery and burglary since 1965, two of three years lowest years for shootings since 1993 (when the NYPD first broke out shootings as a separate category) and the lowest year for overall crime since 1960.

Despite the occasional spike in violence, which any big city can suffer, and which I and my officers take as seriously as we do all crime, I’d say the outlook is pretty good. William J. Bratton Police Commissioner

New York City