July Was Safest Month In Modern Era Of Policing, NYPD Says

NEW YORK CITY, NY – It might be the “Summer of Hell” for commuters, but at least they’re less likely to be victims of crime than perhaps any other summer in modern times, according to NYPD stats.

Last month saw an 8.1-percent drop in crime compared to July 2016, the NYPD stated on Thursday. It said the change marked “a new record for the fewest crimes of any July in the modern CompStat-era.” CompStat is the crime tracking tool that debuted in New York City in 1994.

“This success has not come without extraordinary sacrifice,” Police Commissioner James O'Neill said in a statement. “From targeted investigations of the select few responsible for the bulk of our crime to the strengthening of meaningful relationships we rely on in every community we serve, the progress continues.”

While July murders were up by one – to 35 – compared to the same time last year, crime in other key categories dropped. Last month saw 126 reported rapes, a drop of 22 cases. Robberies decreased from 1,389 to 1,224, or 11.9 percent. Felony assaults decreased from 2,142 to 1,854.

Even subway crime appeared to drop, with the NYPD’s Transit Bureau reporting 175 cases in July, compared to 191 the same time last year.

Crime in the city has steadily decreased over the past two and half decades. The NYPD reported 54,425 total crimes as of July 31. By the same time in 2007, there were 67,239 crimes; and 138,075 a decade before that.

Lead image by AP