Violent Crime Spikes in More Than Half of Brooklyn's Precincts at Year's End: NYPD

As the city celebrated large-scale reductions in violent crime in 2023, the last month of the year saw a number of crimes surge across Brooklyn, according to the latest NYPD data.

During the 28-day period from December 3 to 31, major felonies — defined by the NYPD as murder, rape, burglary, robbery, felony assault, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto — increased in more than half of Brooklyn’s 23 police precincts, compared to the same time period last year. The rate of major felonies increased 5.60 percent in the Brooklyn north and decreased just .93 percent in southern Brooklyn.

North Brooklyn saw robberies rise 43.9 percent, assaults 8.7 percent, and grand larceny 25 percent, with 200 robberies, 288 assaults, and 404 incidents of grand larceny reported between December 3 and 31. A total of 1,188 major felonies across all categories was reported in the area during the time period.

However, the location also saw murder drop 60 percent, rape 10 percent, burglary 10.8 percent, and grand larceny auto 6.2 percent.

Southern Brooklyn saw some similar patterns, with decreases in murder, burglary, and grand larceny – but upticks in rape, robbery, assault, and grand larceny auto. During the 28-day period, rape rose 46.2 percent, robbery rose just over 11 percent, assault rose 10 percent, and grand larceny auto rose 33.1 percent — with 19 rapes, 147 robberies, 253 assaults, and 157 incidents of grand larceny auto recorded in the area.

During the same period, southern Brooklyn saw murders drop 25 percent, burglary 12.8 percent, and grand larceny 13.6 percent.

Across Brooklyn, robbery, rape, assault, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto were among the most commonly reported crimes between December 3 to 31. Felony assault increased in 16 of the borough’s 23 precincts — the 60th, 61st, 62nd, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 76th, 73rd, 75th, 77th, 83rd, 84th, 90th, and 94th.

Of those precincts, assault rose most dramatically in the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg, where 24 assaults were reported during the 28-day period – up 140 percent from 10 during the same time period last year. Both the 61st Precinct (which encompasses Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, and Gravesend) and the 68th Precinct (which includes Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights) saw a 55.6 percent increase in reported assaults.

Grand larceny auto increased in 15 precincts — the 60th, 62nd, 63rd, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 78th, 73rd, 79th, 83rd, and 84th. Though grand larceny auto was down overall in northern Brooklyn, the patrol saw some dramatic increases in the crime — grand larceny auto rose 125 percent — from 12 to 27 — in Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct. The 66th Precinct, including Borough Park, Midwood, and Kensington, saw the most significant rise in grand larceny auto between December 3 to 31 — incidents of the crime rose 225 percent, from 4 in 2022 to 13 in 2023.

Robbery also rose in 15 precincts — the 60th, 62nd, 63rd, 66th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 72nd, 75th, 77th, 79th, 83rd, 84th, 88th, and 90th. Reported robberies surged 166.7 percent in the 70th Precinct, which encompasses Midwood, Ditmas Park, and Prospect Park South. They jumped 140 percent, from 5 to 12, in the 88th Precinct, which includes Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. In Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct, they increased 107 percent, from 14 to 29.

Outside of the seven major felonies, Brooklyn North saw an increase in transit crimes and a 300 percent increase in hate crimes from December 3 to 31, while Brooklyn South saw a decrease in transit crimes but a 62.5 percent increase in hate crimes and an 85.7 percent rise in shooting incidents.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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