Yonkers Crime Rates Down Substantially in 2007
Double-digit drops in each precinct: shootings, robberies & auto theft all down;

Amicone praises Yonkers Police for considerable crime reduction
Yonkers, N.Y. (March 10, 2008) - Crime is down substantially in nearly every major category for the year 2007, city officials announced on Monday, with double- digit reductions in both property crime and crimes against persons throughout the city.

Overall crime is down 13% citywide when compared to 2006, with each of the city's four precincts experiencing double digit crime reduction. Overall crime statistics are largely comprised of crimes against persons (assault, homicide, rape and robbery) and property crime (burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft).

Most significantly, shootings were down 32% in 2007 (30 total shootings) versus 2006 (44 total shootings).

Overall violent crime was down 10% citywide, including a 10% reduction in the Third Precinct that comprises Southwest Yonkers. Robberies are also down significantly, representing a 15% decline from 2006. Other crime reductions include assaults, down 9%; larcenies, down 17%; and motor vehicle theft, down 17%.
Homicides were even from 2007 to 2006. There were 11 homicides citywide in 2007 (10 murders and one manslaughter) and 11 homicides in 2006 (nine murders and two manslaughters).

Mayor Phil Amicone praised the men and women of the YPD for their outstanding work in producing the considerable crime reduction. Amicone also acknowledged the support the Police Department has received from the City Council in terms of funding and new police officers added to the budget.

"We have one of the best Police Departments in the country led by one of the top law enforcement professionals in Commissioner Edmund Hartnett. I'm most proud of how Yonkers' finest have taken a tough, zero tolerance approach to violence- particularly gun violence-in Southwest Yonkers. Because of their vigilance, Yonkers residents can be confident that their streets are now safer," Amicone said.

Amicone praised membership from both the Police Benevolent Association and the Captains Lieutenants and Sergeants Association for their commitment to crime fighting in Yonkers. Both union presidents were on hand for Monday's announcement: Yonkers PBA President Det. Eddie Armour and CLSA President Lt. Tom Phelan.

Police Commissioner Edmund Hartnett attributed the drop in crime to several new strategies and tactics employed by the YPD. "When I first came on board, I said that my top five priorities would be guns, gangs, drugs, quality of life issues and wanted persons, and I'm pleased to say we've made real progress on all of those fronts. By changing our approach a little and introducing new tactics, we've had a real impact on crime throughout the city," he said.

Hartnett outlined the strategies and procedures he felt were most responsible for the crime reduction:
*More Police Officers: Mayor Amicone added 38 new police officers to Yonkers streets since the beginning of 2007.

*Plain Clothes Anti-Crime Units in Each Precinct: A patrol of officers was pulled off regular duty in each precinct and placed into plain clothes detail in order to focus on crimes particular to that precinct. The result has been an increase in arrests, taking bad guys off the street before they have an opportunity to commit a crime.

*Field Intelligence Officers Debrief All Prisoners: It is standard procedure for Field Intelligence Officers to debrief all prisoners in an attempt to gather intelligence about other criminals and criminal activity.

*Street Crime Unit Refocused on Guns & Violent Crime: The Street Crime Unit has been refocused onto violent crimes, particularly shootings, instead of lower level crimes (e.g. prostitution and drugs). The result has been a dramatic drop in violent crime.

*Gang and Narcotics Units Merged Into Single Unit: Because of the intrinsic link between gangs and drugs, these separate units were merged into a single unit in order to share intelligence and produce more arrests.

*CompStat & New Records Management System: The CompStat methodology of tracking crime stats has now been employed by the YPD for five months, providing officers and their supervisors a much more accurate and useful way of tracking crime trends in different categories and parts of the city. Combined with a new computerized records management system, these tracking procedures have made crime fighting a more exact science.
While Mayor Amicone and Commissioner Hartnett said they were pleased with the crime reduction, both men acknowledged that there is always more that can be done to improve public safety, and both pledged ongoing vigilance in keeping the people of Yonkers safe.

"You can never claim victory over crime because even one crime against our residents is too many," Amicone concluded. "So we will continue to seek out the elements of society that pose a threat to our residents and neighborhoods and we will do everything in our power to eliminate them. Yonkers will continue to be one of the safest big cities in America because that's what our residents expect and deserve."
Full 2007 crime stats can be viewed on the City of Yonkers website.
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