Police statistics show a sharp decline in the number of summons and arrests in the five boroughs. The NYPD made half as many arrests in the first week of January compared to the same week a year ago, according to police statistics reported by the New York Times. There were 347 criminal summons issued, in contrast to 4,077 a year ago.
And in a city where parking and traffic tickets are seen as a notorious headache, there is an alarming decrease in the number issued, by an estimated 90%.
Standing with the Mayor at a press conference on Monday, Police Commissioner William Bratton told the public that he acknowledges a “sagging morale” among police officers. Nevertheless, the commissioner has vowed to investigate the reasons behind the decline.
“I will look very specifically — precinct by precinct, tour of duty by tour of duty, sector car by sector car, officer by officer — and we will deal with it very appropriately, if we have to,” Bratton said.
The reduction comes weeks after two Brooklyn police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were fatally shot “execution style” by 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a Baltimore man with a history of mental problems. Brinsley suggested on social media before the shooting that it was meant to avenge the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In both cases, grand jury’s declined to indict the police officers responsible for the unarmed African American men’s deaths. The mayor came under intense criticism for citywide protests critical of law enforcement that followed.
Adding to an already tense environment, hundreds of police officers turned their backs on the mayor at Ramos and Liu’s funerals.
“No work stoppage has been sanctioned by the unions,” Palladino told the Guardian. But, he said, as officers were now “targets for execution” it was “enough to make anyone hesitate regardless of your profession.”
The intention of Monday’s news conference was to highlight the city’s efforts behind an observed drop in crime, which includes a decline of stop-and-frisk reports, according to the New York Times. Bratton and De Blasio said robberies and murders have dropped to their lowest levels since 1963.
While crime did drop the first week of decreased police activity, robberies rose 13.5% over the second week, in comparison to a year ago, according to the Times.
Among the reasons for the slowdown, Bratton proposed several factors including a drop in 911 calls, recent protests, and a mourning period for the two slain Brooklyn police officers.
"We may see that things begin to return to normal on their own volition," Bratton said.
