NYC Shootings Up 120% from October 2019

New York, NY – Violent crime has continued to spike in New York City and the number of shootings last month jumped more than 120 percent from October of 2019.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported a total of 137 shootings between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, more than twice as many as the 62 shootings in the city during the same period last year, FOX News reported.

Police have reported 387 murders in New York City so far in 2020, an increase of 37.2 percent over last year.

In the first 10 months of 2019, only 282 murders were reported, according to FOX News.

But it’s the number of shootings in the city that has people very concerned.

NYPD has reported 1,299 shootings so far in 2020, up 93.9 percent from the 670 committed in the first 10 months of 2019, FOX News reported.

The news was a disappointment for analysts who had been cheering on the drop in crime that occurred after the city was first put into lockdown for the pandemic, Insider reported.

“We were all anticipating a huge decrease in crime. Nobody is on the subway anymore. Everyone is working remotely,” John Jay College Professor Christopher Herrmann, a former crime analyst supervisor for NYPD, said. “‘How much lower can it go? How much lower can it go?’ That was sort of the mantra online with my little group of crime geeks.”

Crime usually increases as temperatures get warmer, but Herrmann said what happened this summer was unprecedented, Insider reported.

“We normally see a 30 percent increase in shootings in the summer. This year it was a 150 percent, 180 percent increase. It was just out of control,” he explained.

Critics have blamed the new bail reform measures that went into effect in New York at the start of the year which virtually did away with cash bail for all but the most heinous of crimes.

But many are pointing the finger at the dissolution of the 600-member anti-crime unit whose tactically-trained officers were reassigned to “community-based efforts” early this summer.

New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced in June that NYPD would rely more heavily on intelligence, data, video, and ShotSpotter technology, with the intent on eliminating the need that had generated the creation of the anti-crime unit.

“This is 21st century policing,” Commissioner Shea declared. “I think it’s time to move forward and change how we police in this city. We can do it with brains, we can do it with guile, we can move away from brute force.”

But thus far, community leaders aren’t happy with the results of the change.

Crime immediately skyrocketed a few days later, with 28 shootings in the city in a span of 72 hours, leaving 38 people wounded, WCBS reported.

In fact, the total number of people shot in New York City during a single week in June was up a staggering 414 percent compared to the same time last year.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams addressed the fact that toddlers were getting caught in the crossfire amongst the crime surge when it happened, WCBS reported.

Adams suggested that the NYPD’s plainclothes Anti-Crime Unit might need to be reinstated.

“I think that a total elimination is something we need to reevaluate,” the borough president said. “Right now, bad guys are saying if you don’t see a blue and white you can do whatever you want.”