Crown Heights Robberies, Rape On The Rise: Police

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Newly released crime stats for Crown Heights North show that while overall crime saw a slight increase, rapes and robberies both had spikes this January compared to last year.

Overall, major felonies in January saw a slight increase of just over four percent compared to last year, according to CompStat data for the 77th Precinct.

But notably, 2023 saw a 200 percent increase in rapes — from two in January last year to four this year — and in robbery, up over 50 percent.

This January saw 17 robberies, which describes thefts like muggings, while the same month last year only saw 11.

But other forms of thefts appear to be on the decline, or saw smaller jumps.

Burglary — when someone breaks into a property — dropped nearly 40 percent so far this year. And petty larceny — thefts valued below $1,00 — also dipped by over six percent.

Grand larceny — thefts over $1,000 — jumped 16 percent, and auto theft saw a small increase of seven percent, or one additional theft over last year.

And misdemeanor assault also saw an increase of almost 30 percent, from 42 last January to 54 this year.

Other crimes, including some violent crimes, remained at zero or declined compared to this time last year.

Murders, shootings and hate crimes remained at zero — same as they were last January as well.

Felony assault dropped nearly 17 percent and other sex crimes plummeted by sixty percent.

While crime remains higher than it was pre-pandemic in Crown Heights, historical data shows that 2022 crime levels were still over 40 percent lower than 2001, and 83 percent lower than 1990.