Statistics show that the number of shootings in New York City are skyrocketing compared to this time last year.
On Aug. 3, the NYPD released the July 2020 crime stats, which shows that there was 177 percent increase year-over-year in the number of shooting incidents across the city in July with 244 in total. In July 2019, there were only 88 shootings over the course of the month. The number of shootings increased by 72 percent year-to-date, with 450 by July 2019 to 772 by July 2020.
According to the statistics, the number of murders throughout the city for the first seven months of the year is also up, jumping from 181 by July 2019 to 235 by July 2020, rising 30 percent year-over-year. In July 2020 alone there were 54 murders, rising from 34 in July 2019.
The NYPD has initiated a new plan to simultaneously increase its targeted mobilization and engage with community partners, including a series of Stop the Violence anti-gun town hall events throughout the city. The NYPD’s efforts to address the surging violence includes shifting officers to areas experiencing upticks in shootings and calls on officers to engage with residents at the grassroots level to focus on the problems and solve them locally.
“Amid the ongoing challenges of these times, the NYPD’s commitment to public safety never wavers,” said NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. “Our men and women officers represent the best of the policing profession and work every day alongside those they serve in an ongoing joint mission to protect life, prevent crime and build safer neighborhoods for everyone across our great city.”
Burglaries throughout the city in July rose 31 percent year-over-year, jumping from 989 in July 2019 to 1,297 in July 2020. Year-to-date, burglaries have risen 45 percent, increasing from 5,932 through July 31, 2019, to 8,594 through July 31, 2020. Transit crimes dropped 41.8 percent to 107 incidents while housing crimes increased 11.3 percent to 504 incidents.
The number of robberies decreased by 6.6 percent year-over-year with 1,124 total in July 2020. Grand larcenies also took a dip last month, dropping 25.1 percent to 3,016. However, the number of auto thefts increased to 892 citywide, a 53 percent increase year-over-year.
The NYPD stats say that the number of assaults decreased to 1,983 last month, a 4.8 percent decrease year-over-year. The number of rapes also dropped 6 percent from 163 in July 2019 to 153 in July 2020, but the NYPD acknowledges that rape continues to be underreported in New York City. If you have been a victim of sexual assault, the NYPD asks that you please come forward and call the NYPD Special Victims Division’s 24-hour hotline at 212-267-RAPE (7273).
While hate crimes against Black and Asian New Yorkers stayed at the same level compared to July 2019, the city saw 22 coronavirus-related hate crimes. The NYPD placed coronavirus-related crimes in an “other” category — regardless of the victim’s race — as there are primarily two motivating factors behind those crimes: The victim’s race (Anti-Asian) and the perception that they have coronavirus. Hate crimes in the “other” category rose from 8 incidents to 17 incidents, marking a 113 percent increase.
This story originally appeared on amny.com.
