Serious crime on the rise, despite drops in some areas, NYPD says

While shootings and homicides dropped during the summer months in New York City, NYPD brass expressed frustration Wednesday over how many serious crimes, notably grand larceny, burglary and robbery, have continued to increase despite more arrests.

Following a summer anti-violence initiative from May 1 through Sept. 5, which corresponded with a 19% reduction in shootings and a 24% drop in homicides compared to the same period in 2021, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and other police officials acknowledge that most major crimes are increasing by 35% this year over 2021.

“What is frustrating our efforts and where we really need help is from the rest of the criminal justice system,” said Chief of Department Kenneth Corey at a briefing for reporters. “When Chief [James[ Essig talks about a guy who is 18 years old, who has been involved in large robbery patterns and has been arrested 78 times — he is 18 years old and has been arrested 78 times — how many New Yorkers has he victimized? And yet he keeps being released only to go back and victimize others.”

Corey bemoaned the fact that numerous robbery suspects are being arrested and quickly released, driving a “sky high” recidivism rate.

“Less than a quarter of our robbery arrests this year have had a bail set,” said Chief Michael LiPetri, head of the office of crime control strategies. “In 2017 that was over 42%. We are arresting these individuals and they are getting out to commit more robberies.”

The persistently high increases this year in burglaries, robberies, grand larcenies and auto crimes have in some ways overshadowed the results of the anti-violence campaign which LiPetri said made the Bronx, once the leading borough in shootings, the lowest in the summer months.

The lower summer violence was underscored over the weekend when there were no shootings or homicides associated with the West Indian Day parade, an event that has been marked in past years by violence.

In terms of the overall crime increase, Sewell said that an increase in arrests and a lack of crime reduction is an indication that the rest of the criminal justice system isn’t pulling in the same direction as the police. Sewell didn’t point the finger at any particular part but in the past has taken issue with legislative bail reform, and decisions by prosecutors and judges.

But she indicated that focusing on just one element — like bail reform — wasn’t going to solve problems of rising crime.

“I think we do ourselves a little bit of a disservice when we say just bail reform — criminal justice reform is a total package,” said Sewell, adding that while the past reforms in the system were aimed at dealing with racial disparities, a great many crime victims in New York City are people of color.

Essig, who is NYPD chief of detectives, noted that the city in recent weeks has been plagued by three large robbery patterns in which bands of criminals use stolen cars, scooters and dirt bikes to roam the boroughs.

In one case, a group of suspects believed to be part of the “1300” street gang last month used a stolen cab to go on what Essig called a “reign of terror” in the Bronx involving a total of 25 robberies. Five suspects, one with over 20 previous arrests, are now in custody, said Essig.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.com

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.