Brooklyn Boro

Crimes up citywide, but Brooklyn figures vary

Car theft is fastest-growing offense

February 4, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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After years of crime going down in New York City, every major index crime category increased citywide during the month of January 2022, with the exception of murder, according to the recently-released NYPD crime report for January 2022.

Moreover, those statistics, with some variations, are reflected in similar figures for Patrol Borough Brooklyn North (which stretches from Greenpoint to Brownsville) and Patrol Borough Brooklyn South (which stretches from Brooklyn Heights to Coney Island to East New York, and contains some areas that few people would think of as “south.”).

Although the NYPD report does not address this issue, a number of factors have been put forward as reasons for this increase in crime, such as added stress from the COVID pandemic, the increased availability of guns from out of state, bail reform measures that have backfired, and the discontinuation of some violence prevention measures.

In general, for the month of January 2022, the city saw a 38.5 percent increase in overall index crime compared with January 2021.

Compared with the figures for January 2021, rape increased 26.7 percent, robberies increased 33.1 percent, felonious assault increased 12.3 percent, burglary increased 7.5 percent, grand larceny increased 58.1 percent, and grand larceny auto (or car theft) increased 91.5 percent, the biggest jump of all. Murders went down 15.2 percent.

“The NYPD will forever work to ensure public safety and will never give up this city,” said Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.  “This is our solemn vow to New Yorkers and to New York City. It remains critical that all partners come to the table in this shared mission to combat gun violence.” 

In Brooklyn South, compared with the month of January 2021, murders increased 200 percent (from one to three, however), the number of rapes stayed steady at 13, robberies increased 66 percent, felonious assaults increased 25.9 percent, and grand larcenies increased 79 percent. Unlike the city as a whole, burglaries here decreased 11.5 percent.

In Brooklyn North, robberies increased 19.7 percent, felonious assault increased 25 percent, burglary increased 22.8 percent, grand larceny increased 16.4 percent, and grand larceny auto increased 83 percent.  Murders here decreased 70 percent (from 10 to three), and rapes decreased 16.7 percent.

Let’s look at some individual precincts. In the 84th, which includes Downtown Brooklyn as well as Brooklyn Heights, felony assault increased 83 percent, burglary increased 100 percent, grand larceny increased 14.6 percent, and grand larceny auto increased 100 percent. Rapes stayed the same (at one), and murders decreased 100 percent (from one to zero).

In the normally quiet 68th Precinct, or Bay Ridge, grand larceny increased 58.6 percent, and grand larceny auto increased 75 percent. Rape, robbery and burglary all decreased (at 100 percent, 100 percent and 25 percent, respectively), while felony assaults stayed the same, at six.

In the 60th Precinct, which includes Coney Island, robbery increased 50 percent, grand larceny increased 47 percent, and grand larceny auto increased an astonishing 800 percent (from one to nine). Murders decreased 100 percent (from one to zero), while felony assault and burglary both decreased  (at 45.5 percent and 63.6 percent, respectively).

Finally, in the 77th Precinct, representing part of Crown Heights, robberies increased 200 percent (from four to 12), felony assaults increased 64 percent, burglaries increased 62.5 percent, grand larceny increased 45.5 percent, and grand larceny auto increased 120 percent. However, murders decreased 100 percent, from one to zero.

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