Bloomberg Cites Crime Drop in Brooklyn Precinct; Doesn't Mention Big Spike
In his comments Sunday about the shooting of four police officers in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, Mayor Bloomberg--never one to miss a chance to tout good numbers--told reporters that "crime is down something like 46 percent in the 61st Precinct since 2001."
This is true. What he conveniently neglected to mention is that over the past two years, 61st Precinct crime has skyrocketed.
Yes, kids, that's right. Crime is up 30 percent--one of the highest increases in the city--over this time last year, and 37 percent over two years ago. The increase is driven by sharp spikes in robberies (122 percent up) and grand larceny (47 percent up).
The other uncomfortable question is why. Well, could it be that precinct commanders are getting serious about reporting accurate crime statistics, based on the media coverage of manipulation of crime reports? Or, are things really taking a turn for the worse?
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