Northern Queens Is Seeing An Uptick In Shootings, Police Say

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Shootings are increasing in northern Queens in spite of an overall decrease in violent crimes citywide, police say.

There have been 23 shooting so far this year in the neighborhoods of northern Queens, compared to 12 at the same time last year, amNY reports. That's roughly a 92-percent increase.

Queens North stretches from Astoria and Long Island City all the way east to Bayside, according to the police department's definition.

Shootings citywide increased about seven percent through June 30 — to 361 from last year's 337, according to amNY.

Many of those shootings happened in four Brooklyn North precincts, police said.

"The problem continues to be driven by gangs and crews," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said Tuesday.