NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — The New York City Council is set to question NYPD officials Wednesday about how the department collects and audits crime data, even as recent statistics show murders and shootings at historic lows.<\/p>\n
The hearing comes after the NYPD reported a 6.6% drop in major crime citywide in August<\/a> compared with the same month last year. But while some of the city’s most closely watched crime categories declined, others continued to increase.<\/p>\n According to city figures, felony assaults rose 3.1% in August, rapes were up 3.2% year to date and hate crimes increased 15.8% compared with the same period last year.<\/p>\n Members of the Council’s Public Safety Committee are expected to question police officials about the department’s use of crime statistics, its auditing process and its broader crime-reduction strategies.<\/p>\n The NYPD issued a statement to Eyewitness News ahead of the hearing:<\/p>\n “The NYPD delivered both the safest summer and first eight months of the year for shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders in recorded history. The department takes the proper classification of crimes and complaint reports with the utmost seriousness. The NYPD has multiple layers of internal auditing, compliance review, and enforcement across several areas of the department, including teams that are solely dedicated to ensuring that crimes are properly classified.” According to NYPD crime stats, 32 shooting victims have been injured so far this year in the 44th Precinct, compared with 26 at the same time last year, an increase of roughly 23%.<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n * Get Eyewitness News Delivered<\/a> <\/p>\n * More New York City news<\/a><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/p>\n * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts<\/a> <\/p>\n * Download our connected TV app<\/a> <\/p>\n
Lawmakers are also expected to focus on violent crime trends in parts of the Bronx<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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