CIVIC CENTER — Violent crime was down during the summer, but the homicide rate for the year overall was up 6 percent in the city compared to the same period in 2014, according to the NYPD.
The city had the lowest number of shootings and homicides from June 1 to Aug. 31 — with 82 murders and 345 shootings — going back to when the NYPD started keeping CompStat records in the mid 1990's, Deputy Commissioner Dermot Shea said during a press conference at One Police Plaza Wednesday.
“By and large we had a very good summer,” Commissioner Bill Bratton said. “[We are] trending toward another very successful year in maintaining very low crime rates and disorder in the city.”
While overall crime was down about 4 percent so far this year, there were 13 more murders compared to 2014.
There was also a 5.3 percent increase in rapes, with 47 incidents so far this year, and robberies were up less than 1 percent.
August also saw a record low number of shootings, according to Shea, with 121 in the city, but overall crime was up 2.4 percent with an additional 231 crimes compared to 2014. Most of those were clustered in The Bronx, which has seen an increase in robberies and assaults.
There were also expected to be 31 homicides in the month — with the medical examiner still determining the cause of death for two people — which would tie the lowest number for the month.
Shootings were also down about 2 percent with 15 fewer so far this year compared to this time in 2014.
Police also arrested 41,000 fewer people and issued 58,000 fewer summonses this year.
The NYPD credits the Summer All Out program, in part, for the reduction in summer crime. The program sent additional officers to the 10 most violent precincts in the city.
