Government

Officials celebrate improved safety citywide

January 13, 2012 Heather Chin
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Looking back on 2011, city officials are celebrating a year ofnear record levels for public safety, with overall crime down andthe second lowest number of fire deaths since such records havebeen kept.

Citywide, overall crime went down 0.4 percent since 2010 – or1.2 percent according to previous standards which classifiedstrangulation in the second degree as a misdemeanor instead of thecurrent felony. There were 504 murders in 2011 – the 10thconsecutive year that the city has seen fewer than 600 murders anda nearly five percent reduction from 2010. Other areas of majorfelony crime – including rapes, robberies, felony assaults,burglaries, grand larcenies and auto thefts – also continued todecline, according to preliminary statistics made available by theNYPD.

In the 68th Precinct, which serves Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights,major felony crimes decreased 0.5 percent since 2010. This year,there was one murder, seven rapes (up from six), 100 robberies(down from 104), 138 felony assaults (up from 101), 196 burglaries(down from 239), 353 grand larcenies (up from 321) and 120 grandlarceny autos (down from 148).

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The 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst and Bath Beach also saw adecrease, of 3.3 percent from 2010. This year saw two murders (downfrom seven), 12 rapes, 172 robberies (down from 175), 162 felonyassaults (up from 137), 250 burglaries (down from 301), 456 grandlarcenies (down from 461) and 158 grand larceny autos (down from160).

In Sunset Park’s 72nd Precinct, major felony crimes went up from1,191 to 1,206 – an increase of 1.3 percent.

In southwest Brooklyn, overall crime has dropped between 37percent and 45 percent since 2001.

The FDNY also saw improvement, with response times improvingslightly both citywide and throughout Brooklyn for non-structuralfires (4:21 citywide, 3:56 Brooklyn) and medical emergencies (4:16citywide, 3:54 Brooklyn). For structural fires, responses inBrooklyn clocked in at an average of 3:36 minutes, while citywidetimes was 4:02 – an increase of two seconds and one second,respectively, compared to 2010.

Fire deaths were the second lowest in city history, at 64.Ambulance response times to life-threatening calls were also thefastest on record at 6:31 minutes. These were attributed in part tonew technology and dispatch changes that were introduced in2008.

Citywide, the number of structural fires declined by six percentin the last year, with serious fires going down three percent.Compared to 10 years ago, the drop was 11 percent and 15 percent,respectively.

The statistics were heralded by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NYPDCommissioner Raymond Kelly and FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassanoduring a press conference on Wednesday, December 28, as the fruitsof a job well done by law enforcement officials, first respondersand emergency workers.

Despite tough fiscal times, New York’s frontline public safetyagencies continue to keep our city safer than in any time inrecorded history, said Bloomberg, who credited that safety fordrawing new residents, tourists and businesses while also makingpeople healthier.

Kelly added, The biggest declines happened in neighborhoodswhere crime was the highest to begin with, among the poorest in thecity… It’s an accomplishment that [police officers] can be proudof.

The work and collaboration of firefighters and EMS personnel,who also began incorporating new technology into their work inrecent years, led to a year of doing the best job we’ve ever donesaid Cassano. That means a safer city for the many millions wholive and work here.


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