Neighborhood
Crime Stats are Now Just a Mouse-Click Away New York City has made tremendous progress in reducing crime and becoming a place where people love to live and visit. Seven years ago, the city was regarded as the crime capital of the country. Now, we're the safest large city in the nation, according to the FBI, and we've held that title for four years running. And starting this week, we are sharing our great news with the world.
Crime statistics for the city are now available on the Internet. By
going to the City's web site, NYC.gov, and
clicking onto the NYPD home page,
you will find statistics for murder, robbery, and burglary in all 76
precincts in the city, that will be updated every two weeks. Besides checking on whether assault and grand larceny is up or down in your area, you can view a page about your precinct's commanding officer, police officers, and programs. And in about a month, maps of each individual precinct will be added. You'll be able to see the trend over eight years as well. On-line crime statistics is a wonderful tool for people who want to
live in a particular neighborhood, open a business in a certain area,
or move back to the city. Now that crime is down 57%, New York is fast
becoming a popular retirement destination. This is just one of the many exciting initiatives Police Commissioner
Bernard Kerik has launched in his effort to enhance police-community
relations. The Police Department is also changing the way the Civilian
Complaint Review Board (CCRB) functions, by allowing it to prosecute
misconduct cases against police officers and removing the NYPD from
the trial process. Currently, the CCRB investigates claims of abuse brought to it by the
public, then sends cases with evidence of misconduct to Police Department
lawyers, who decide whether the cases can be prosecuted. Under the change, the CCRB would not forward any cases to the Police
Department, but instead would prosecute the cases itself. However, it
still would have to forward any recommendations for disciplinary action
to the Police Commissioner, who would make the final decision. The Commissioner and I believe that this change would make the CCRB
more efficient, more effective, and would produce fairer resolutions.
There would be a lot more accountability for putting the cases together
and presenting them, and it would also help clear up the misconception
held by some that the Police Department doesn't aggressively prosecute
misconduct cases against officers. To help ease public concerns about police searches and to make officers
more accountable, the Commissioner has implemented a new stop-and-frisk
policy that will require police to explain to the person being stopped
the reason for the frisk. A revised reporting form also contains a checklist of circumstances
that form the basis for the stop, such as "unusual nervousness,"
and "suspicious bulge," along with other factors, like bloodstains
or a ringing burglar alarm. This will make it easier to analyze what
the officers are doing and give a better explanation to people of why
they were stopped. The Police Department wants to listen more to the people they serve
-- not just to the shouts of advocates, but to the people in the communities
themselves. That's why the NYPD is hiring an independent firm to take
surveys from neighborhood residents, asking them what they think of
the work their precinct is doing. Based on this information, every effort
will be made to address communities' actual concerns. I'd like to commend Commissioner Kerik for putting a concerted emphasis
on improving community relations. This is a Department that has an excellent
record of restraint, and dealing with every group on a fair and equal
basis. But there is always room for improvement, and the NYPD is committed
to providing the people of the city with the best possible service. |
