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NYC Sees Safest Summer In 22 Years, Police Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City experienced the safest summer in 22 years when it comes to overall crimes reported, the NYPD announced Tuesday.

Police said the city's overall crimes totals were the lowest since the Compstat crime reduction and police management era began in 1994. There were 1,610 fewer crimes reported in June, July and August of this year compared with last year – a decrease of 5 percent.

Compared with 1994, there were 73,463, or 73 percent, fewer crimes, police said.

For August 2016, every category of index crimes saw a decrease – with a result of 957, or 9 percent, fewer total index crimes compared with August of last year. Murder is down 2.9 percent, rape 6.7 percent, robbery 15 percent, felonious assault 7.6 percent, burglary 20 percent, grand larceny 5.4 percent, and grand larceny auto 3.3 percent.

But in numbers, the total number of murders only dropped by one, police said.

Tuesday marked Commissioner Bill Bratton's last crime press briefing before he leaves office. The NYPD noted that there were 1,946 murders in the city 1993 and just 352 in 2015.

Police said the Compstat policy, first enacted by Commissioner Bratton during his first run under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani – along with the late Jack Maple – could be credited with bringing about the decrease.

"Detractors said it couldn't be done. We have further reduced violence and serious crime across this city, yet again," Bratton said in a news release. "The tremendous focus on a small group of criminals has resulted in these unprecedented declines in crime - as violence has increased in other American cities significantly. To the men and women of this Department, thank you for what you do every
day to make this the safest big city in America."

Mayor Bill de Blasio also credited "neighborhood policing" and Bratton with bringing about the reduction.

"Our city just experienced the safest summer since the NYPD broke ground with Compstat more than two decades ago. It is clear from our success this summer that neighborhood
policing works," de Blasio said in the release. "Commissioner Bill Bratton has helped make our city the safest big city in America. We owe the Commissioner an extraordinary debt of gratitude for the lives he has saved and the security he has brought neighborhoods across our five boroughs."

Bratton announced his resignation last month. James O'Neill, currently the Chief of Department, will be taking over as the new commissioner.

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