Good News Post-Sandy: No Homicides In New York City

Hurricane Sandy has left a lot of destruction and tragedy in its wake, but there is at least one positive note: There have been no homicides in New York City over an almost five-day period post-Sandy.

There has been violence. A man was arrested recently for pulling a gun at a fuel station as shortages plague New York City. If convicted, he will serve 15 years in jail for his short temper. Additionally, there has been tragedy. A woman who was turned away by neighbors at the height of the storm lost her two boys, ages to and four.

But there have also been stories of exception and heroism: A pizza shop owner staying open 24-hours a day to serve New Yorkers stricken with hunger. A hotel manager turning away NYC marathoners in favor of providing shelter for Sandy victims.

But perhaps the greatest evidence that New Yorkers have pulled together and put aside their differences as they characteristically do in the face of crisis is the fact that not a single homicide has taken place in the city in a five-day period following the storm’s devastation. Despite flaring tempers, evaporating patience, and dwindling resources, New York City hasn’t turned on itself.

New York Police Department Detective Cheryl Crispin confirmed that as of 5pm ET Friday, there had been no homicides in New York City since a reported death at 3:40m Monday in the 62nd Precinct in Brooklyn, reports NBC News.

This is both remarkable and unusual in the US’s largest city. Before Sandy, between October 15 and October 21 there were five reported murders. That same week in 2011 saw 13 murders, according to an NYPD report.

Homicide in New York City has declined steadily in recent years.

On Monday, a man was reportedly beaten to death by four men. Four have been arrested since this incident. Sandy has claimed enough of its own victims as well. The latest death toll attributed to Sandy in the US sits at almost 100.