Shootings spiked in April across northern Queens
Seven incidents led city, but mayor and commish tout historic overall crime crop citywide
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Police precincts in
northern Queens saw the
sharpest uptick in shootings
in the entire city last month,
according to NYPD statistics
announced by police brass and
Mayor Bill de Blasio.
On May 2, de Blasio
and Police Commissioner
James P. O’Neill held a press
conference at One Police
Plaza to review crime rates
throughout the city.
“As for the hard work being
done by our cops out there
across the five boroughs – I
continue to be pleased with
the progress we’re making to
improve on our already record
low crimes,” said O’Neill.
According to the NYPD,
crime rates in April 2019 were
down 6 percent overall. There
was a 34 percent decrease in
murders, with 17 throughout
the city, and the year-to-date
number of murders is up to
88. Of the 17 murders, nearly
half were shootings.
“We are at an all-time April
low and for the first time in
any April, we recorded fewer
than 7,000 index crimes and
the decreases are reflected in
all seven major crimes,” said
NYPD Chief of Crime Control
Strategies Lori Pollock.
The overall number
of shootings were spread
throughout the city. However,
the area called Patrol Borough
Queens North — which
encompasses the 104th, 108th,
109th, 111th, 112th, 114th, and
115th precincts — saw the
largest increase in shootings
during April, jumping from
zero to seven shootings.
“The shootings during
April are spread out across
the city, and Queens North
experienced the largest
increase of seven versus zero
with gangs, drugs and one
robbery as the motives,” said
Pollock. “Housing shooting
incidents are up in April: 15
versus eight. Those incidents
are also spread out amongst
housing in the five boroughs.
From left: First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, Mayor Bill
de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O’Neill.
Photo provided by the Mayoral Photography Offi ce
And gang violence is a factor
in our shootings – over 50
percent, or 32, of our shootings
are gang related.”
Rape crimes are down 16
percent with 141 recorded
cases compared to 168 at
this time last year. However,
domestic rapes remained even
with last year, and accounted
for almost 45 percent of our
month-to-date and year-todate
reports.
Hate crimes throughout the
city, particularly anti-Semitic
crimes, have increased
during the beginning of 2019.
In February, a 12-year-old
boy was charged for drawing
swastikas throughout a Rego
Park schoolyard.
“What we are seeing is
an increase of 60 reported
hate crimes in New York City
through the first four months
of the year. As I’ve said before,
anti-Semitic crimes make up
85 of the 148, so well over 50
percent of the overall crimes,”
said Pollock. “When you drill
down on the anti-Semitic hate
crimes that we are seeing,
approximately 80 percent of
the drawing of swastikas in
some way, shape or fashion
throughout New York City.”
When asked about the
increasing traffic fatalities,
particularly in certain areas
of Queens, the mayor stated
that they intend to continue
with a sixth year of Vision
Zero to build more bike lanes.
“We have a plan out already
to aggressively continue to
build out bikes lanes, and it’s
a very costly plan, but it’s the
right thing to do. It also takes
time to do these things,” said
de Blasio. “So, I think the plan
we have now is the right plan.”
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