NYC crime jumps 58% – with hate crimes leading the uptick – as top cop insists: ‘New Yorkers deserve better’

New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams insisted Friday that the Huge Apple “would defeat crime” after current police statistics confirmed practically each sort of prison offense – together with subway and hate crimes – was up within the month of February. 

The New York Police Division launched its crime statistics for the month of February late Thursday, exhibiting a 58.7% enhance in general crime in comparison with February 2021. “Each main index crime class noticed a rise for the month of February 2022,” the NYPD mentioned. 

“New Yorkers deserve higher.”

— NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell 

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The NYPD identifies the seven main index crimes as being homicide, rape, theft, felony assault, housebreaking, grand larceny and grand larceny auto. 

“The division has made far an excessive amount of progress over the a long time – and invested far an excessive amount of within the communities it serves – to fall again by any measure,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell mentioned in a ready assertion. “New Yorkers deserve higher.”

Chatting with reporters at an unrelated press convention on Friday, Adams – who was sworn in as mayor simply over two months in the past – mentioned metropolis workplaces have been “executing our plan, and we’re going to defeat crime.”

A member of the NYPD sporting a ‘again the blue’ face masks stands outdoors of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on January 6, 2022 in New York Metropolis.
(Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Photos)

Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor for John Jay School of Felony Justice in New York Metropolis, mentioned the most recent crime figures – which come simply over two months after Adams took workplace – do not “bode effectively for his plans.” 

Adams has unveiled a number of plans for town, together with one for the subway, and a “Blueprint to Finish Gun Violence,” and the NYPD has launched a 90-day gun violence prevention plan.   

“I simply query … the execution of the plan,” mentioned Giacalone, a retired member of the NYPD. “If they do not get their palms round this, like yesterday, it’ll it’ll spiral uncontrolled.”

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS 

HATE CRIMES

Chart supplied by NYPD reveals hate crime statistics damaged down by motivation for the month of February 2022
(NYPD)

Hate crimes collectively soared 189% final month in comparison with February 2021, with anti-Semitic offenses main with a staggering 409% enhance, the NYPD mentioned. 

There have been 56 anti-Semitic assaults in February 2022 in comparison with the 11 reported throughout the identical time final yr. 

In the meantime, anti-Asian assaults noticed a 125% enhance yr over yr, from 4 experiences in February 2021 to 9 final month, the NYPD mentioned. And bias crimes in opposition to Black people doubled, from 8 to 16, police mentioned.  

On Wednesday, the NYPD arrested 28-year-old Steven Zajonc for allegedly randomly attacking seven Asian-American ladies on Sunday evening.

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Zajonc allegedly carried out his assaults in opposition to ladies ages 19 via 57 and over the course of simply greater than two hours, usually punching or elbowing them within the face or physique. In every case, he did so with out saying a phrase and with out having any prior interactions with them.

SUBWAY CRIME PERSISTS

Subway crime has made headline in current walks and months, after a spate of generally unprovoked assaults and murders within the transit system.

Transit crimes noticed a 73.3% enhance in February 2022, with 182 incidents reported in comparison with the 105 offenses in February 2021, police mentioned. 

Subway crimes elevated 205.6% from Feb. 21 to Feb. 27 alone, police mentioned. 

In one of many extra noteworthy situations, from Feb. 24, a New York Metropolis Well being Division analysis scientist was on her means residence from work and was getting into a Queens subway station when she was attacked by a stranger with a hammer. 

The sufferer, 57, was critically injured, and suffered a fractured cranium and a mind bleed. Her attacker was in the end charged with tried homicide, theft and assault.

Earlier than then, on Feb. 21, a 43-year-old lady was assaulted by a stranger who smeared human feces throughout her face and higher physique inside a Bronx subway station after she reportedly rejected his advances. The suspect was arrested, however was launched with out bail. He was instantly rearrested for a hate crime offense from late 2021 in Brooklyn, in accordance with a number of native experiences. 

And in January, 40-year-old Michelle Alyssa Go was standing on the subway platform contained in the Instances Sq. subway station in Manhattan when a stranger allegedly pushed her in entrance of an oncoming practice, killing her. The suspect was charged with homicide.

The rampant subway crime is a far cry from Mayor Adams’ enforcement plan, which took impact on Feb. 21 with efforts to revamp the transit system’s security and safety practices. The zero-tolerance program aimed to supply providers to homeless people and people experiencing psychological well being difficulties, and goal loiterers, turnstile-jumpers and prison opportunists. 

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However issues have endured. On the day of this system’s launch, a minimum of two folks have been assaulted within the subway system. 

SHOOTINGS ARE DOWN, EVERYTHING ELSE IS UP

Chart supplied by NYPD reveals crime statistics damaged down by offense sort for the month of February 2022

Grand larceny auto – or automobile theft – and grand larceny – the theft of an merchandise price greater than $1,000 – topped the charts when it comes to index crime will increase for February. Grand larceny auto jumped 104.7% yr over yr, whereas grand larceny elevated 79.2%, police mentioned. 

In the meantime, homicide elevated 10.3%, from 29 in February 2021 to 32 final month, and felony assault noticed a 22.3% uptick, cops mentioned. There have been 134 rapes final month, in comparison with the 99 reported in February 2021, a 35.4% enhance, in accordance with the NYPD. Robberies elevated 56%. 

On Friday, Mayor Adams mentioned Police Commissioner Sewell could be deploying the NYPD’s new model of an anti-unit quickly, as soon as she feels the officers are “correctly skilled.” 

“We’re going to get it proper,” he mentioned. “And we’re not going to do it based mostly on the timetable of others.”