By ARI PAUL
City crime rates have jumped in several key categories, but the Police Department insisted there is not much to worry about.
Crain's New York Business reported last week that in addition to murder being up almost 25 percent compared to the first three months of
last year, rapes were up by 13.8 percent and robberies by 4.5 percent.
The department was quick to point out that New York still has the lowest crime rate among large American cities despite the jump.
NYPD: Still Doing Well
"Citywide, overall crime is down, but, yes, murder is up 24.7 percent, but that's compared to the same period last year when we
experienced the lowest murder rate in modern time," said chief NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne in an e-mail. "In other words, the current murder rate
is the second-lowest in 45 years. If you compare this period to just one year earlier, 2006, it's still 9 percent lower, and 30.35 percent lower than the
same period in 2001."
He admitted that the low starting salary for entry-level cops, a pro-rated $25,100 for their first six months, has caused staffing
shortages.
"There's no question that the arbitration-imposed low starting pay has caused severe recruiting problems," Mr. Browne
said.
City crime rates have jumped in several key categories, but the Police Department insisted there is not much to worry about.
Crain's New York Business reported last week that in addition to murder being up almost 25 percent compared to the first three months of
last year, rapes were up by 13.8 percent and robberies by 4.5 percent.
The department was quick to point out that New York still has the lowest crime rate among large American cities despite the jump.
NYPD: Still Doing Well
"Citywide, overall crime is down, but, yes, murder is up 24.7 percent, but that's compared to the same period last year when we
experienced the lowest murder rate in modern time," said chief NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne in an e-mail. "In other words, the current murder rate
is the second-lowest in 45 years. If you compare this period to just one year earlier, 2006, it's still 9 percent lower, and 30.35 percent lower than the
same period in 2001."
He admitted that the low starting salary for entry-level cops, a pro-rated $25,100 for their first six months, has caused staffing
shortages.
"There's no question that the arbitration-imposed low starting pay has caused severe recruiting problems," Mr. Browne
said.
