Unprecedented 11 Days Without Murder In New York City
New York City has set a new record for going 11 consecutive days without murder. In such a large metropolis with a bustling community, murder is unfortunately very often a daily, or at least nightly, occurrence. It is almost unheard of that New York City has now gone 11 days without a fresh murder case, the longest run in two decades.
In 1994, the New York City Police Department introduced a program, CompuStat, to track murder — and crime in general. Not once in the 21 years since has the city seen such a long reprieve from murder. Going 11 days without murder breaks the record from 2014, which saw 10 days without murder, from February 13 to 22. It’s interesting to note that that the time frame is so similar, both stretches occurring in the month of February. This does not account for other types of crime, however.
Good news. 11 days in #NYC without a report of a murder. A record in recent times. #bronx #brooklyn #queens #manhattan# #statenisland
— Dean Meminger (@DeanMeminger) February 13, 2015
When asked if the frigid weather conditions and extreme amount of snow played a role in this 11 day run, Mayor Bill de Blasio adamantly denied this as the root cause, crediting the police department with a job well done.
“This extraordinary streak of safety over the past several days is testament to the hard work of the men and women of the NYPD, and further evidence that New York City is the safest big city in America. It’s also proof we can bring police and the community closer together and keep crime down in our neighborhoods. Our administration is committed to keeping crime at historically low levels, building stronger relationships between police and communities across our city, and strengthening support for our officers.”
Former New York Police Department officer, now professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Eugene O’Donnell disagrees with the mayor’s stance.
“Obviously, the weather is helpful. There’s tremendous evidence to suggest that if the weather warms up you can easily have a very bad weekend.”
Opinions are obviously varying greatly regarding the reason for the streak of 11 entire consecutive days without murder. Of course, one does not need to go outside to cause trouble. With all the huge apartment complexes in New York City, surely heated battles will ensue. Which side do you lean towards? Are these 11 days without murder due to the weather or the exemplary NY police department? Will they make it to 12 days without a murder?
[Image via Rappler]
