What to Know
- Gun violence has continued to plague New Yorkers across the Big Apple throughout the year and the month of November -- reaching levels unseen in years -- as the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak continues to strain the city and its police, according to the latest New York City Police Department statistics.
- The NYPD’s data shows that gun arrests for the month of November are up +112.3% (484 cases reported compared to 228 during the same time period last year), driving a +22.2% increase in citywide gun arrests -- a total of 3,793 -- compared with the same period a year ago which resulted in 3,104 arrests.
- On gun violence, the NYPD says that shootings continue to be a huge problem that has "victimized far too many." For November, there was a +112.5% (115 this month compared to 51 during the same time period in 2019) increase in shootings citywide, according to the latest data, with shootings having risen +95.8% (1,412) through the first 11 months of 2020, compared with the same period last year (721).
Gun violence has continued to plague New Yorkers across the Big Apple throughout the year and the month of November -- reaching levels unseen in years -- as the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak continues to strain the city and its police, according to the latest New York City Police Department statistics.
According to the NYPD, "the spike in street violence contrasts with the levels of overall crime remaining flat through the first 11 months of the year."
The NYPD’s data shows that gun arrests for the month of November are up +112.3% (484 cases compared to 228 during the same time period last year), driving a +22.2% increase in gun arrests across the city -- a total of 3,793 -- compared with the same period a year ago which resulted in 3,104 arrests.
On gun violence, the NYPD says that shootings continue to be a huge problem that has "victimized far too many." For November, there was a +112.5% increase in shootings citywide (115 compared to 51 during the same time period in 2019), according to the latest data, with shootings having risen +95.8% (for a total of 1,412) through the first 11 months of 2020, compared with the same period last year (721).
Based on the shootings, the NYPD has noticed a trend: 40% of those accused of a shooting have had a past gun possession arrest, while 21% of shooting victims have had one.
"To serve those harmed – on both sides of the gun – our officers and citizens continue to build the kind of bonds that are essential to our shared sense of well-being. Our investigators, Neighborhood Coordination and Youth officers, as well as every uniformed officer on patrol, remain steadfast in achieving the kind of common good all New Yorkers demand," the NYPD said.
News
Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his Friday appearance on the Brian Lehrer Show that the pandemic has led to an increase in certain crimes due to the related economic fallout and having a vast majority of places, including schools and houses of worship, closed. However, the mayor notes that the police has been increasingly reaching out to the community, which has helped in the surge of gun-related arrests.
On violent crime, homicides have also risen both for the month and the year. November saw 28 people murdered in the five boroughs -- this is five more than were killed last November. So far in 2020, there has been a +38.4% increase (422) in the number of victims murdered in New York City compared to last year (305).
According to the NYPD data, a combined +0.6% (8,170 reported cases this year compared to 8,120 last year) in the seven major felony categories were reported this November compared to last November. One of the categories that has seen a significant surge in cases is Grand Larceny Auto. This type of crime has increased 101.5% over the same period last year (929 cases in the month of November compared to 461 cases in November 2019). Aside from the increase in murders, there has also been four more reported rapes this November compared to the same period last year. Burglary has also seen a 41.3% increase this year, while robbery, assault, and grand larceny have seen a decrease.
However, the city has seen a dramatic decrease in hate crimes. While this is overall good news, it should be noted that the recent coronavirus-related incidents have been categorized under an anti-other hate crime category -- which has seen a significant spike. The placement of these cases in this category comes since there are two motivating factors behind those crimes: the victim’s race (anti-Asian) and the perception that they have coronavirus, the NYPD explained.
"Even as the pandemic prompted a spike in coronavirus-related hate crimes against those of Asian descent, it was swiftly addressed by the formation of an Asian Hate Crime Task Force that has so far helped to close 16 of 24 of those reported crimes with an arrest," according to the NYPD.
“Whatever the challenge, our NYPD officers have shown innovation and determination to get the job done this year,” NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement.
