NYPD Reports a 97% Increase in Shootings in 2020, but Claims Overall Crime Rate of was Low

By Yehudit Garmaise

   Despite significant spikes in homicides, shootings, burglaries and car thefts in New York City in 2020, the NYPD claimed in a report today, somewhat nonsensically, that the “overall crime index,” which are all the crimes, including nonviolent ones, actually hit a historic low.

    The NYPD said today that in 2020, the number of crimes reported was 95,552, which had 681 fewer victims than in 2019 and 11,668 fewer victims than in 2014, which was the first year of Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration.

    The low overall crime index provides cold comfort, however, in a year that saw a 97% increase in shootings, a 44% increase in the number of murders, a 42% increase in burglaries, as well as a 67% increase in car thefts. 

     The NYPD arrested more than 4,200 people, an increase of 29% from 2019, for crimes that involved guns.

    “The NYPD recognizes this as a time for asking and answering difficult questions, for reflection and action and for encouraging and serving New Yorkers," said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea. "This will determine the way forward for all of us. Together, we will ensure the preservation of our collective public safety while also cultivating a culture that upholds the values and dignity of every New Yorker, in every neighborhood."

    The NYPD said that despite protests of police and for racial justice, they "continued to engage the people who live, work and serve throughout the city" and will continue to do so in 2021.