The overall crime rate in New York City increased by 30% so far in 2014.
Exactly two weeks before the election, New York Governor Kathy Hochul held a news conference to defend her record on crime. Although shootings have decreased, she blamed “human emotion” for the city’s rising level of insecurity.
At a news conference, Attorney General Letitia James remarked, “I deal with two things here: I deal with the facts, and I deal with people’s fears, and I handle both.” “Thankfully, gun violence is decreasing. It’s getting there, but there’s still no human connection. I can see why you would say that.”
To reflect the present climate of the campaign, a reporter asked Hochul, whose future opponent is Republican Lee Zeldin, if she has “pivoted” to the issue of crime.
Given that she has been talking about violence on the New York City subway system since January and has helped guide gun legislation through the state assembly, Hochul said, “I don’t believe it’s an honest depiction to suggest we just started talking about crime.”
“All the political upheaval in the world right now can’t convince me that we should turn back now. This isn’t completely novel information; it’s something I’ve dealt with before and have come to accept as true.”
There has been a 14% decrease in homicides and a 16% decrease in shooting incidents compared to the same period last year, but total crime in New York City is up 30% this year, according to NYPD statistics.
The most notable increases in criminal activity are those of grand larceny (40% higher), robbery (33% higher), and felony assault (14% higher).
Recent sad instances, such as the random pushing of a 32-year-old man into train tracks last week in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, have shed light on a 42% increase in transit crime on New York City’s public transportation system this year.