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NYPD Touts Crime Drop as Murder and Rape Stats Rise

By Ben Fractenberg | November 2, 2015 5:09pm
 NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and deputy chief of operations Dermot Shea during a press conference at One Police Plaza Monday, Nov. 2, 2015.
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton and deputy chief of operations Dermot Shea during a press conference at One Police Plaza Monday, Nov. 2, 2015.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

CIVIC CENTER — There were more than 2,800 fewer major crimes this year compared with the same period of time last year, but homicides and reported rapes were still higher, the NYPD announced Monday.

"We do have spikes from time to time as we did over this past weekend, but I caution you, spikes don’t basically amount to trends," NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said during a press conference at Police Headquarters. "And the trends are still very favorable."

There were 21 more homicides through the end of October compared with last year and 48 more rapes, according to numbers released by police Monday. 

The increase in rapes were due in part to people reporting cases this year that may have happened one or two years ago, Deputy Commissioner of Operations Dermot Shea said during the press conference. 

"In terms of rapes that actually occurred this year, we’re down 8 percent over the rapes last year," Shea said. "Why do we have an increase in rapes? Because it is something we frequently get, rapes reported that occurred sometimes a year ago, two years. We recently had one that was 20 years ago."

Violent crime had also decreased at the start of fall. 

There were four fewer murders in the month of October compared with last year, according to the NYPD, and 22 fewer rapes. 

Robbery, assaults and burglaries were also down while grand larceny auto was up 18 incidents last month. 

Police arrested two men last week in connection with the shooting of an iron worker in Bushwick after he confronted a group of would-be car thieves. 

The NYPD blamed most murders on gun violence, saying there was a 25 percent increase this year on homicides by gun fire. 

"We continue to see gun violence," Shea said. "That’s the number one concern."