ONE POLICE PLAZA — The NYPD will begin to analyze slashings and stabbings with the same scrutiny as murders in an effort to curb the number of attacks across the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
Under “Operation Cutting Edge,” the department will classify slashings and stabbings as felony assaults, but will also include more details about the crime, such as the weapon used and whether alcohol was a factor, for better analysis, the mayor and police officials said.
“When we see a new problem, we go after it,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to apply what has worked consistently from CompStat to the question of stabbings and slashings. We’re going to take the same exact approach that has worked year in and year out."
The announcement comes amid a 22 percent increase in blade assaults this year. There have been 916 related incidents, 424 of which have occurred outdoors, police said.
Nearly one-third of the assaults stem from domestic disputes, and 20 percent of the incidents occur between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Of the 916 stabbings and slashings, only 22 have been random, officials added.
But NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said the department hopes to reduce the number of attacks by learning more about their specifics.
“Due to the nature of gun violence, including both murders and non-fatal shootings, we are often successful in identifying motives such as gang or narcotics-related,” Bratton said.
“Until recently, stabbing and slashing incidents have not been tracked with the same level of classification.”
The department has already identified 20 different clubs across the city that have been plagued by these sorts of attacks. Officials said alcohol is often a factor.
Bratton said the more intense police focus should be a remedy for the spike.
"It's like a doctor," he said. "We've got a patient that has gotten ill with it. We are now going to quickly identify what are the different prescriptions we can use to help that patient get better."