New York's crime rate drops to 10-year low ( 2003-12-03 11:28) (Xinhua)
Crime in New York city has fallen to a 10-year low. Statistics released by
New York Police Department (NYPD) show the murder rate has dropped nearly 70
percent since 1993, serious crime is down 55 percent and rapes have fallen 39
percent.
The figures indicate that the crime reduction trend started during the tenure
of former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, has continued under current mayor
Michael Bloomberg. Giuliani oversaw double-digit declines in all serious crimes
during his time in office.
The crime rate has dropped despite there being 4,000 fewer officers than
three years ago, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "It's truly remarkable and
credit has to go to the whole uniformed force," he said.
Police officials said the number of major felonies from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30
this year totals 132,584 and the final 12-month total could be even lower than
in 1968 when the NYPD began compiling reliable statistics.
Kelly and his supporters point to an NYPD initiative called Operation Impact
as the driving force behind the safer streets. The program redeployed more than
800 police officers, many of them new recruits, into 21 high-crime zones.
However, some doubted that the NYPD would be able to keep the trend going.
Budget cuts have shrunk the force and anti-terrorism demands on the NYPD have
increased. The murder rate, for instance, has inched up recently with 538
homicides through November, four more than during the same period last
year.
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