Why are more police officers being assaulted? Here's what the NYPD commissioner thinks.
NEW YORK -- Assaults against police officers increased 20% in 2023 and are up 15% so far in 2024, CBS New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer" reported Sunday.
It begs the question, do more people think it's acceptable to assault an officer?
Kramer posed the question to New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban, the son of a cop who joined the NYPD as a patrol officer in the Bronx in 1991. Here's what he had to say:
"A harsh reminder"
"It's a dangerous job ... and the murder of Det. Jonathan Diller is a harsh reminder of that. In that instance, we had two career criminals carry illegal firearms, didn't think twice about pulling out that firearm and killing a New York City police officer. Yes, they'll face murder charges, but you have a family that doesn't have a son, you have a wife that doesn't have a husband, you have a little boy that's going to grow up without a father. It's a disturbing trend of violence against our officers that we're seeing," Caban told Kramer.
Diller was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Queens in March. He was posthumously promoted to detective at his funeral.
Who's to blame?
Caban, who was sworn in last summer, suggested the problem lies with recidivism, "career criminals" getting back on the streets, not necessarily more people believing it's OK to assault officers.
"We had 56,000 felony arrests last year in New York City," said Caban. "Up in felony arrests in all five boroughs, up in housing 17% in felony arrests, up in transit 16% in felony arrests. We are seeing a revolving door. Call it catch and release, call it whatever you want, but it's a pattern that we're seeing throughout New York City and it's not good for law enforcement. It doesn't bode well for law-abiding citizens and it doesn't bode well for New York City."
"Locking up the same people"
The NYPD consistently says a small group of people are responsible for a large number of crimes during its monthly press conferences on crime stats.
"We like to say there's a lot of tentacles in the public safety ecosystem and we all have to do our part, not only the police department. The DAs, the judges, everyone is a stakeholder in this," said Caban. "We're locking the same people up, over and over again."
Perception vs. reality
Caban said there may be a perception that New York City has become more dangerous, particularly the subway, but the statistics don't back it up.
"Despite what some people see on some news agencies, or despite what some people see on media and print, we're still the safest big city in the nation. Violent crime is down, murders are down, shootings are down, arrests are up," he said. "My officers, I give them all the credit in the world for the work that they're doing out there every single day."
We also asked New Yorkers how they think the NYPD is doing. Click here to see their responses.
To watch Sunday's full episode of "The Point with Marcia Kramer," click here.