HUDSON HEIGHTS — Crime dropped by nearly 19 percent over the past month after three straight months of increases in Uptown's 34th Precinct, police said.
There were 87 major felonies during during the most recent 28-day period, between May 25 and June 21, compared to 107 for the same time last year, Deputy Inspector Chris Morello told residents at a precinct council meeting on Wednesday.
Morello said the precinct had seen reductions in several of the seven major crime categories measured by NYPD, including violent crime.
For example, there were 14 robberies during the 28-day period compared to 23 for the same time in 2014. Felony assaults also saw a decrease, with 14 during the most recent period compared to 24 for the same time last year.
While shootings fall under the category of felony assaults, Morello noted that these are also down, with zero for the 28-day period this year compared to two for the same time last year.
Non-violent crimes also saw decreases, he noted.
Burglaries declined, with 12 during the most recent period compared to 17 in 2014. Grand larcenies of autos fell from 7 last year to 5 for the same period this year.
Murders were unchanged, with zero for this time period in both 2014 and 2015.
The only crime that saw a notable increase was grand larceny, with 39 for the 28-day period compared to 34 during the same time last year, Morello said. He added that many of those incidents involved identity theft.
The decrease comes on the heels of a violent May, in which the precinct saw its first murder of the year and a triple-shooting.
Morello credited the NYPD's new patrol model that is being piloted in four precincts, including the 34th, for the drop-off.
Under the program, specialized units such as street-level narcotics enforcement and parks patrols have been disbanded. Instead, officers are assigned to regular sectors within the precinct in order to get to know the community better.
The number of patrol cars out at any given time has also roughly doubled under the program, which was implemented in mid-May.
“What we’re seeing so far in the 34th precinct is that it’s working,” Morello said at the meeting.
The map reflects major crime in the precinct from May 18 to June 14, 2015.
