New York City crime surged 38.5% overall in the first month of 2022
Vehicle thefts increased 91.5% while shootings went up 31.6%
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York City saw a 38.5% surge in overall crime last month, according to data released by the NYPD on Thursday, the same day that President Biden visited the city to discuss strategies for reining in crime.
The surge was driven by a 91.5% increase in thefts of vehicles, a 58.1% increase in grand larceny, a 33.1% increase in robberies, a 26.7% increase in rapes, a 12.3% increase in felony assaults, and a 7.5% increase in burglaries.
The only major crime category that fell in the first month of 2022 compared to 2021 was murder, which decreased by 15.2%. Shootings, however, went up 31.6%.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Crime surged 38.5% in New York City last month over the same time period in 2020. (NYPD)
President Biden met with Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and other officials in New York City on Thursday, rejecting calls from the progressive wing of his party to defund the police while also calling for gun law reforms.
"The answer is not to abandon our streets," Biden told the officials. "The answer is to come together, policing communities, building trust, and making us all safer."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Biden's visit came one day after a funeral was held for 27-year-old NYPD Detective Wilbert Mora, who was shot and killed by Lashawn McNeil on Jan. 21 in a Harlem apartment. Mora's partner, 22-year-old Jason Rivera, was also shot and killed.
An off-duty NYPD officer was shot in Queens during an attempted carjacking on Tuesday. The officer was in the hospital in stable condition on Wednesday.
Six NYPD officers have been shot so far this year. Nationwide, at least 30 officers were shot last month, a 67% increase over last year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Transit crime in NYC went up 75.2% last month amid a spate of high-profile attacks in the city's subway system.
Michelle Go, a 40-year-old Asian-American woman, was killed when she was pushed in front of an oncoming train at the Times Square station on Jan. 15.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}About a week later, a 61-year-old man was pushed onto subway tracks at the Fulton Street station, but he was able to get to safety before a train came.
A Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officer looks for passengers at the last stop at the Coney Island station in Brooklyn, New York. (Corey Sipkin/AFP via Getty Images)
The attacks have prompted New York City council members to call for subway platforms at stations across the city.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hate crimes also surged 72% in New York City last month, driven mostly by a 275% increase in crimes against Jewish people.
It's a trend that started last year, as hate crimes rose 96% in 2021.