Crime rates drop in Nassau, Suffolk
Standing in the Nassau County Police Department lead development center, where employees scan computer-generated information and work on cases, Nassau Executive Thomas Suozzi touted the county as one of the safest places to live right now in America.
"That's what we've proved to be good at . . . putting the bad guys in handcuffs and behind bars," Suozzi said, before attending swearing-in ceremonies for 50 new police recruits Tuesday in Massapequa Park.
He reminded them to be courteous to the public, saying: "We are a county that is committed to serving the public. You have a tremendous responsibility going forward here."
The county executive was obviously basking in the glow of the latest figures on crime, released Monday: Major crime dropped 12.6 percent in Nassau, the lowest point in 41 years. Overall, crime was down 5.88 percent in Nassau last year, according to Sgt. Anthony LaRocca, who analyzes crime statistics for the county.
Major crime dropped 12.6 percent in Nassau, the lowest point in 41 years.
Crime was down in Suffolk County, too, where Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said Monday that the incidence of major crimes had dropped 4.5 percent from 2006 to 2007 -- and that overall crimes had dropped 5.5 percent, something Suffolk Executive Steve Levy attributed to shifting "more cops from behind the desk onto the street" during that time.
Certainly, the Nassau numbers gave Suozzi reason to smile, as he labeled the county "the safest it's been in a generation." After all, major crimes had increased 1.29 percent from 2005 to 2006 and overall crime was up 5.93 percent in that time, before dropping.
"We want to keep the focus on crime fighting until we're the safest suburb in America, Suozzi had said Monday.
On Tuesday, Nassau took a step toward keeping that focus, swearing in 50 new recruits who will eventually swell the force to 2,720 officers.
Suozzi called the career "a great opportunity to make enough money to live here on Long Island and raise your family." Starting pay is $34,000.
How 2007 crime figures compare to other places in the nation remains unclear, county officials noting federal statistics won't be available until later this year. Federal figures from 2006 show serious crimes on Long Island were notably fewer than many other places in the nation. Nassau and Suffolk had an average of 1,912 federally reported crimes per 100,000 people, outranking areas like the White Plains area, with 2,423, and the region around Edison, N.J., with 2,086.
Major crime, such as murder and rape, has been on a more or less steady decline in Nassau since 1999, dropping every year with the exception of the slight 1.29 percent uptick in 2006.
Thirteen murders were reported by Dec. 24 in Nassau last year, compared to 14 reported by Dec. 26, 2006, a 7.14 percent drop. Rapes were down 16.95 percent and robberies dropped 13.73 percent, according to Nassau Police.
Suozzi said he attributes the recent drop in crime to a variety of factors, including demographic.
An increasingly aged population along with one that boasts a higher than average income has helped drive down the crime rate in Nassau, Suozzi said. In addition, lower crime rates in the city create less "spillover" crime in the suburbs, he said.
Nassau Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey also said he attributes the drop to the department's analysis of crime statistics, guiding enhanced enforcement to targeted areas. The department began using the process in 2002.
The department also began working more closely with city police, the FBI and other local departments to share and develop leads to solve crimes in the past year, Mulvey said.
The most current federal data show crime is dropping nationally. Violent crime fell 1.8 percent and property crime was down 2.6 percent in the first six months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, according to the FBI.
In New York State, violent crime was down 6 percent and property crime was down 5 percent, also comparing the first half of 2007 to the same period a year earlier.
Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008
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