Paper Example on Sharp Rise of Murders, and Shootings in New York City in August

The New York Police Department (NYPD), on September 2, 2020, reported an exponential increase in the number of violent crimes such as shootings and murders in New York City. More so, the data indicated a total of 53 murders occurring during August, representing a 47% rise compared to 36 murders recorded during August in 2019. Concerning the number of shootings, they increased by 166%, with 242 reported cases during the same month. The months from January to the end of August have an increase in the number of reported murders by 34%, with the total cases recorded being 291, a significant difference compared to the 217 reported cases during the same period last year. Also, the amount of shooting cases that were reported was 1.014 marking an 87% rise from the start of January to the end of August.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Furthermore, the City Mayor Bill de Blasia expressed his displeasure saying the city is experiencing numerous issues as a result of the novel SARS COVID-19 that is wreaking havoc worldwide. The mayor said that the city is experiencing a challenge it has never experienced. However, he insisted that the relevant authorities are on alert and are making significant strides in dealing with crime, citing a large number of arrests for crimes lined with guns and an augmented pace concerning criminal hearings. It is as a result of the slowdown of court trials from the closures made by the city because of the coronavirus. On a brighter note, he states that there are signs of profound progress from the modifications made by the city.

Additionally, the city has made a various adjustment which is directed to ensure the rate of crime in the city are minimized even if the city is still dealing with another predicament. Specifically, the police department during the recent period shifted additional police officers to weekend patrols, ensuring enough workforce even during weekends. Also, the city official stated that there would be an increased number of patrols during the Labor Day weekend in the city. Nevertheless, the NYPD has experienced forced cutbacks during overtime because of the cuts in funding by approximately one billion dollars in the budget of the city that was approved at the start of the year.

With the cuts in funding, the number of burglaries in the city has increased to 1.310, marking a 22% rise in August, which is a difference of 234 in comparison with the 1,076 in the previous year. The eight months up to the culmination of August experienced a shot up of burglaries by 42%, amounting to 9,942 compared with the same period in 2019. According to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice retired professor Eli Silverman, the number of influences that probably led to the augmenting in the number of violent crime include poor officer morale, a decrease in arrests, and limited city patrols. He added by saying that the situation in the city is compounded by numerous events and factors simultaneously occurring, creating a challenge in dealing with the relative effect of a particular factor or event.

In summary, the data from the reported cases of violent crimes indicates a drop in several crimes. The reported rapes cases reduced by 22%, amounting to 126, while grand theft fell by 17.5% to 3,218 compared to August 2019. The period between January 1 and August 28 experienced a reduction in hate crimes by 37% to 182 compared to 288 in the same period in 2019.

References

Li, S., & Chapman, B. (2020, September 2). Murders, and shootings in New York City rose sharply in August. WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/articles/murders-shootings-in-new-york-city-rose-dramatically-in-august-11599075203