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TRENDING NOW IN US NEWS

HOWARD UNIVERSITY CANCELS GRADUATION MID-CEREMONY AFTER FURIOUS...

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Metro

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NYC SERIOUS CRIMES HIT LEVELS UNSEEN IN TWO DECADES LAST YEAR EVEN AS MAYOR
ADAMS CLAIMS ‘CRIME IS DOWN’

By Craig McCarthy

Published April 3, 2024
Updated April 3, 2024, 5:48 p.m. ET

Serious crime spiked again last year to levels unseen in nearly two decades,
according to internal NYPD data obtained by The Post — even as Mayor Eric Adams
has repeatedly claimed that “crime is down” in the Big Apple.

For the second year in a row under Adams, overall crime was on the rise — driven
by a historic surge in assaults, which neared 28,000 for the first time in the
city’s publicly recorded history, according to the police department’s rolling
report.

The report tracks the tally of seven major felony offenses after the time of
arrest to when cases move to district attorneys, who decide whether to upgrade,
downgrade or stick with the charge. For instance, a perp who punches someone
might be charged with a misdemeanor at first, but if the victim’s condition
later worsens, the prosecutor could boost it to a felony.

The count of major felonies — which include murder, rape, robbery, assault,
burglary, grand larceny and car thefts — is generally used as a benchmark for
success year after year.

12
Mayor Eric Adams has tried to combat the fears of rising crime to convince
tourists and businesses to continue to return. Gabriella Bass

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12
The number of seven major crimes in 2023 jumped to 127,111 once 404 upgrades
were accounted for, marking the highest totals since 2006 for the second year in
a row, according to the police data. Gabriella Bass

City Hall has argued it has focused its policing efforts on driving down murders
and gun violence, both of which have seen double-digit percentage dips since
Adams, a moderate Democrat, became mayor.

Adams, a former police captain, has also called for a tougher criminal justice
system, including a crackdown on recidivism and bail reform, but appears to have
been stymied by the Democratic establishment — in Albany and locally, where the
City Council tossed his veto of the “How Many Stops” policing bill.

“Adam is a victim of Albany as are the rest of New Yorkers. He can’t control
Albany but he has to deploy his cops to somehow control crime,” said Democratic
consultant Hank Sheinkopf.

While Adams has been touting his success in his war against crime, citing a
slight dip reported at the end of 2023, the rolling report shows that the
early-year victory lap was premature.

The number of seven major crimes in 2023 jumped to 127,111 once around 430
upgrades were accounted for, marking the highest totals since 2006 for the
second year in a row, according to the police data.

Police sources said it could get even worse — as historically up to 800 crimes
are upgraded in the rolling report annually before the final tally is set for
that year.

12
An unknown male individual followed a 20-year-old female victim exiting a
Queens-bound F train that had entered the 169th Street subway station.

In recent months, the mayor has been banging the drum about his administration’s
success in combating crime, proclaiming “our strategy is working” in his State
of the City speech in January.

He touted year-end 2023 data showing a .3% dip in overall major crime, coupled
with double-digit decreases in murder, burglary and shootings, compared to his
first year in office.

Major felony2023 (As of April 2)ReclassificationsPercent change from
2022Murder3915-10.7%Rape1,46510-9.8%Robbery16,93432-2.9%Felony
Assault27,951102+6.7%Burglary13,80345-12.7%Grand Larceny 50,761235-2%Car Thefts
15,8060+15%Total127,111429+.02%

But the NYPD’s rolling report paints a different picture.

The report, in early March, showed there were 50 fewer major crimes in 2023
compared to 2022, when the final tally was 127,091.

That gap began to close over the following weeks — before 2023’s crime numbers
finally surpassed Adams’ freshman year in office by 20 offenses.

12
Eight men were wanted in connection with a February gang assault on a
17-year-old male victim near West 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. NYPD

Adams’ first year as mayor was already marred by headlines of a 23% crime jump
compared to the prior administration, and a 33% increase from pre-pandemic
levels.

City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Queens) fumed to The Post that the disorder is
much worse, with “the reported stats barely scratching the surface.”

“All I ever hear from storekeepers and constituents is that they stopped
reporting crimes, because of the revolving-door criminal injustice system,” he
said. “It’s a fact every New Yorker lives with daily.”

Driving the high levels of overall crime were felony assaults, with 100 more
such offenses counted compared to the end of the year, for a total of 27,951 as
of this month — a jump of 6.7% and the highest dating back to before 2000, the
earliest year available.

12
A recent poll found that majority of New Yorkers feel unsafe. rfaraino

12
New York Post cover for Sunday, March 31, 2024.

“At least the numbers show why it feels like it’s the 1990s again in NYC,” a
police source said of the skyrocketing assaults.

Also driving the overall level were car thefts, which finished at 15,806 at the
end of 2023, but have seen a 15% increase since.

After reclassifications and upgrades were accounted for, the data as of April 2
show:

* Murders, which came in at 391, four more than at the end of the year and down
10.7% from 2022.
* Rapes that finished at 1,465, 10 up from year-end and down 9.8% from 2022.
* Reports of robbery at 16,934, up 32 from Jan. 1 and down 2.9% from 2022.
* There were 13,803 burglaries, up a few dozen from the end of the year and
down 12.8% from 2022.
* Grand larceny finished at 50,761, about 200 more than at the end of the year
and down 2% from 2022.

Hizzoner has tried of late to tamp down criticism of the soaring unlawfulness as
a “perception problem” — despite feeding into that public narrative during his
first year in office before blaming the media for reporting on crime.

12
Also driving the overall level were car thefts, which finished at 15,806 at the
end of 2023, but have seen a 15% increase since. Gabriella Bass

“We need to address that perception and we need to address the actual crime
numbers,” he said March 19 from City Hall.

“I was brutalized when I used the term perception, now all of y’all are talking
about perception. Just about all your articles now, it’s like, people don’t feel
safe, they have to perceive just as what.

“This is what I was saying from the beginning! The perception of being safe must
equal the numbers of the actual safety.”

12
On Wednesday, Adams joined NYPD officials to announce a 2.4% dip in crime
overall so far this year. Gabriella Bass

On Wednesday, Adams joined NYPD officials to announce a 2.4% dip in crime
overall so far this year — and pushed back when asked about The Post’s story,
rolling out his predecessor Bill de Blasio’s infamous line that “New York City
remains the safest big city.” He did not mention that felony assaults have
increased 3.8% so far this year.

YearTotal
crimes2023127,1112022127,0912021102,741202095,593201995,6062007121,0092006128,692

The mayor has repeatedly touted crime-fighting gains made during his sophomore
year in office — which he dubbed his Aaron Judge year, after the Yankees star.

“I say it over and over again until it resonates: Jobs are up, crime is down and
we are moving in the right direction as we deliver for our working-class New
Yorkers,” he said on Feb. 20 during one of his many appearances praising the
progress.

12
Police at the scene where a person was shot on Lexington Avenue at East125th
Street in New York around 12:15 a.m. March 23, 2024. Christopher Sadowski

It was also a key message in his optimistic State of the City speech in which he
played down the migrant crisis and heralded the administration for bringing the
city “back from the brink.”

“New Yorkers were rightfully concerned about their safety, their security and
their families,” he said, adding, “Our first order of business was clear: Get
crime under control.”

A mayoral rep insisted in a statement that the city is safer now than when Adams
took office.

12
Adams has blamed recidivism for the high-profile violent incidents. Steven
Hirsch

“Mayor Adams has been clear that public safety is the key to prosperity, and in
a little more than two years in office, our administration has been successful
in driving down major crimes like shootings, murders, burglaries, grand
larcenies, and more,” spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said.

“While reclassifications of some crimes happen every year, and there is
undoubtedly more work to be done to keep New Yorkers safe, there is no disputing
that our streets are safer today than they were before Mayor Adams took office.”

THE LATEST ON NYC SUBWAY CRIME

Subway crime rose nearly 20% in the first two months of 2024, as compared to
this time last year. The period saw substantial increases in grand larcenies
(22% increase), felony assaults (17%) and robberies (12%), according to newly
released NYPD statistics.

There have been two murders in the subway system in 2024, compared with just one
at this point last year.

The combined statistics point to an overall crime increase of about 18.3%, with
317 reported incidents compared to 268 over the same period last year. However,
arrests have also increased by 44%.

Mayor Eric Adams said the NYPD will quickly move to 12-hour tours to try to
control the crime wave, which he blamed on the city’s rollback of its subway
safety plan that increased police presence in the subway in 2022.

Adams stressed finding a “new norm for patrolling our subway systems” —
including reinstating the increased police presence and enhanced bag checks.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that nearly 1,000 New York National
Guardsmen, state police and MTA cops are being deployed to carry out bag checks
in the subway system.

In addition to the patrol boost, Hochul plans to introduce a new law that allows
judges to ban anyone who has been convicted of a violent transit assault from
riding New York City’s subway or bus system.

Hochul’s plan includes new surveillance cameras directed toward conductor cabins
to protect transit staff, CCTV cameras in every train car by the end of the
year, and a $20 million cash injection to increase the number of Subway
Co-Response Outreach teams throughout the system.

At that time, overall crime just topped 100,000 for the first time in years with
murders creeping up to 500 as cops confronted a record number of 1,562
shootings, NYPD data show.

Shootings were down last year by 26% compared to 2022, 1,150 vs. 1,566, but
still up more than 50% from 2019.

Political players noted the mayor finds himself boxed into a corner with his
mixed messaging on crime.

12
Bloodstains at the Bronx crime scene where a 15-year-old boy was shot in the
thigh. Christopher Sadowski

On one hand, Adams started the year with an overt push to lure tourism and
workers back to the Big Apple, proclaiming the city safe and business booming.

On the other hand, he has been confronted by a recent spate of high-profile
crimes on the subways, which prompted Gov. Kathy Hochul, in an unusual show of
force, to send in the National Guard to help with bag checks underground.

Adams has repeatedly blamed the scourge of rampant recidivism for fueling
high-profile violent acts, most recently the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective
Jonathan Diller.

12
Lindy Jones and Guy Rivera are charged in connection with the March shooting
death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller in Far Rockaway. Richard Harbus/Pool

But Adams’ popularity — especially as a mayor who ran on a law enforcement
platform — will always be tied to crime in the Big Apple regardless of whether
the administration believes the state has tied its hands.

“The mayor gets blamed for crime, period. Democrats can’t win elections if they
don’t control crime. Mayor [David] Dinkins is a classic example. If crime
continues to rise, his [Adams’] numbers will go down,” Sheinkopf said.

“When [New Yorkers] vote for mayor, they vote for Albany. If he can’t control
crime, they won’t remember it was Albany.”

Democratic political consultant Ken Frydman said the Adams admin needs to hone
its mixed messaging so as not to appear merely reactive.

“The mayor needs consistent crime messaging for New Yorkers and out-of-towners,”
he said. “Are the subways and streets safe or unsafe? Is violent crime random or
a growing trend? Is the threat of violent crime real or perception?”

The mayor has also faced a budget crunch due to the ballooning migrant crisis,
forcing him to cancel several NYPD classes, though at least one has since been
reinstated.

Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) accused the NYPD of mismanagement,
charging police brass are focusing on the wrong issues, such as cracking down on
drinking in public, which The Post revealed last year.

“Mayor Adams has spent more than two years prioritizing public appearances over
public safety,” he charged.

Some police sources echoed those concerns.

“They’re more concerned about grammatically incorrect social media battles than
they are about effective crimefighting,” one source quipped, pointing to a
recent spat between a handful of NYPD brass and columnist Harry Siegel that
descended into name-calling.

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