The Countdown: Are increased fears of New York City crime justified?

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Thursday, September 8, 2022
The Countdown: Are increased fears of NYC crime justified?
In this edition of 'The Countdown,' we dig deeper into the perception versus the reality of crime in New York City.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In this edition of 'The Countdown,' we dig deeper into the perception versus the reality of crime in New York City.

NYPD statistics show major crimes last month were up by about 26% compared to a year ago, but murders were down 54% and shootings were down by 30% in August. Those numbers are something cops are touting.

So, are the increased fears of crime in the city justified? Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce joins the show to address those concerns.

Here are the other headlines from Wednesday's show:

Gov. Hochul lifts mask mandate on mass transit

Gov. Kathy Hochul has lifted the requirement to wear masks while riding mass transit during a news conference on Wednesday. It comes at a time when kids are returning to school with more than 94,000 new COVID cases per day in the United States, and many school districts are pulling back on mandates.

Dr. Jay Varma, a pandemic expert at Weil Cornell Medical Center offers his thoughts.

Broadway Week is back with 2-for-1 ticket deals

Deals on tickets for Broadway shows and other performances will be more accessible with the reopening of the Lincoln Center TKTS booth. The President of the Broadway League Charlotte Saint Martin joined us to discuss the efforts to bring people back to theatres.

Former NY Governor Pataki on 9/11

This Sunday, we will remember the 2,996 victims who lost their lives in the September 11th terror attacks. This year will mark 21 years since the tragedy that still lives so fresh in the minds and hearts of many New Yorkers.

One such New Yorker was former Governor George Pataki, who was in office when the city was attacked. He joined us to talk about that day and how he honors the victims every year.

You can watch 'The Countdown' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.

----------

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* Follow us on YouTube

* More local news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.