NYPD Reports Lowest Summer Shootings, Murders In 20 Years
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The NYPD is saying this has been the safest summer in over 20 years.
Deputy Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday there were 82 murders and 345 shootings in the city between June 1 and Aug, 31.
He said that's the lowest number recorded for that period since the Police Department began tracking crime statistics in the 1990s.
NYPD Reports Lowest Summer Shootings, Murders In 20 Years
August alone set a record for the fewest number of shooting incidents, WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported.
Officers made 79 more gun-related arrests compared to the same time last year.
While overall crime is down about 4 percent so far this year, police said there have been 13 more murders compared to 2014 -- a far cry, though, of the dramatic spikes seen elsewhere.
"I'm quite comfortable we're not going to see anything like, unfortunately, many of our colleagues are experiencing in major cities around the country," said police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Bratton said that's because the NYPD's resources and technology are unlike those of any other department.
The commissioner credited targeted enforcement for the reduction in summer crime.
The department's Summer All Out program increased the number of officers assigned to patrol in the 10 most violent precincts.
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