New Rochelle Offers Explanation For City's Spiking Crime Stats
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (CBSNewYork) - The crime numbers coming out of New Rochelle are a bit eye popping. There has been a 279 percent increase for aggravated assault, but officials say the new statistics need some context.
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In one year, serious crimes jumped 21 percent. Robberies, burglaries, and auto thefts also all increased. But there are a few caveats.
"One, they've changed the way that they are reporting crimes. For instance, if something happens where there are multiple injuries in an assault it would be counted multiple times instead of once as it was in the past and secondly, you know, this comes after many years of crime rate drops in New Rochelle and we remain the fifth safest city in the United States for cities of our size," city manager Charles Strome said on Tuesday.
In response to the uptick in crime, police are returning to the beat, spending more time on foot patrols in trouble spots.
"We've implemented a patrol and a walk function so that, for every hour that a police officer spends patrolling in a patrol vehicle, that person gets out and does foot patrol for 20 minutes in their area," Strome told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.
Police commissioner Patrick Carroll admits he is not happy about the increase, but these figures are still 18 percent lower than a decade ago.
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