NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- June crime statistics show shootings and murders in New York City were down last month year-over-year, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea announced Tuesday.
Shooting incidents in the city were down 20% in June. Murder was down 23% compared to the same month a year ago. And the number of shooting victims was down 26% over last June.
Crime overall was up slightly last month, driven by an increase in car theft and other robberies.
"Keeping all New Yorkers safe is what drives us, and your police officers are working with community members around the clock to do just that," said Police Commissioner Dermot Shea. "Through targeted deployment and collaborative efforts with those we serve, the department continues in its mission to stamp out criminal activity and hold those who commit acts of violence to account."
Meantime, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is issuing an executive order declaring a first in the nation disaster emergency on gun violence.
He said the state will treat gun violence as a "public health emergency" with long and short term strategies, much like coronavirus.
Jackie Rowe-Adams was in the audience Tuesday, when Cuomo made the announcement.
Adams knows everything that's important to know about gun violence. Both of her sons' pictures hang on the wall in her office that is filled with the photos of people who were murdered with guns.
The state's largest police departments will now have to submit gun data
Cuomo says in New York City, .7% of the at risk youth have done 36% of the shootings.
The state will work to connect at-risk youth with jobs in hopes that will not turn to crime.
Cuomo noted that 26 people were shot in New York City over the holiday weekend despite the overall decline cited by the mayor.
Word of the decrease in shootings and murders came two weeks after MTA officials noted a drop in subway crime, which had been on the rise for several months.
ALSO READ: Tide of violent transit crime in NYC appears to be receding
More details released by the NYPD on Tuesday:
For the month of June 2021, the number of murders and shooting incidents in New York City declined compared with June 2020. Murder decreased by 23.3% (33 v. 43) while shooting incidents decreased by 19.5% (165 v. 205). The department made 361-gun arrests for the month of June, a 99.4 % increase compared with the same period a year ago.
In June 2021, overall index crime in the city rose 3.1% compared with June 2020, driven by a 32.3% increase in grand larceny (3,123 v. 2,361), a 31.2% increase in Grand Larceny Auto (921 v. 702), and a 16% increase in robbery (1,121 v. 966). For the month of June, the crime of burglary posted a 49.6% reduction (927 v. 1,828) compared to the previous year.
As summer proceeds, the NYPD remains focused on precision policing to reduce violence across all five boroughs. Investigators are continuing to build comprehensive long-term cases against those who carry out violence using firearms - as demonstrated by the most recent 81-count indictment in Brooklyn that charged 14 alleged gang members in connection to 11 shooting incidents. With the court system expanding its operational capacity, the NYPD and its prosecutorial partners will continue to present these types of long-term investigations that expressly target drivers of violence.
ALSO READ | 1 killed, 2 injured in shooting at Long Island party
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