During CNN’s 2020 Democrat presidential primary debate, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed he “lowered crime” in the city, though not all crime has been reduced.
De Blasio, who took over as mayor in 2014, claimed New York City crime has been reduced under his watch, saying:
We can make change in this country. I know from personal experience it can be done. When I became the mayor of the nation’s largest city, I set us on a path of bold change … we got rid of stop-and-frisk and we lowered crime … yes, it can be done. [Emphasis added]
New York City crime data, though, paints a different picture of crime in the city. For example, the murder rate in New York City has increased by nearly four percent over the last month compared to the same time period last year.
Over the last nine years, rape has increased by nearly 43 percent and 30 percent over the last two years. There were about 17 percent more rapes over the last week in New York City compared to the same time period last year. Over the last month, rape has increased by about 4.5 percent compared to the same time period in 2018.
Likewise, sex crimes — that is sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual battery, and child sex crimes — have increased nearly 35 percent over the last nine years and nearly 23 percent over the last two years. In the last month, sex crimes in New York City have increased by almost 20 percent compared to the same time last year.
Also increased over the last nine years are felony assaults by more than 18 percent, grand larceny by more than 12.5 percent, housing crimes by more than 21 percent, and transit crimes by nearly 13 percent.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder.