Overall crime in New York City saw a 58.7% jump last month compared with February of 2021, data released Thursday by the NYPD shows.
According to the NYPD, every major index crime category saw an increase last month, though citywide shooting incidents dropped slightly when compared to the same time last year.
Car theft jumped 104.7%, from 2,099 to 3,762; robberies increased by 56%, from 818 to 1,276; and theft increased by 79.2%, according to police data.
Hate crimes jumped 189% compared to February of last year, the NYPD said, with anti-Semitic incidents up 409%, from 11 to 56, and incidents against Asians up 125%, from 4 to 9. Anti-Black crimes jumped 100%, from 8 to 16 incidents.
Police say crime increased underground in the subway system by 73.3% compared to February 2021, going from 105 incidents to 182.
Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul rolled out their “Subway Safety Plan” on Feb. 21, an initiative aimed at reducing the number of homeless people in the subway system by deploying NYPD officers, clinicians, and community-based providers to canvas the subways, focusing on high-need locations.
The crime increase follows a January where overall crime surged across the five boroughs by 38.5% compared with January of 2021 (link out).
In a statement, Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said the NYPD is “proactively addressing the deep-rooted causes of criminal behavior.”
“The NYPD will never relent, and the department has made far too much progress over the decades – and invested far too much in the communities it serves – to fall back by any measure. New Yorkers deserve better,” she added.
