NYC Council Questions NYPD Crime Statistics Amidst Claims of Declining Crime Rates
The New York City Council's Committee on Public Safety held an oversight hearing to scrutinize the NYPD's crime data collection methods and resource allocation. This comes as the NYPD has consistently reported significant declines in major crime rates. NYPD Inspector William Haut and Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Michael Gerber testified, but the absence of Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and other senior police chiefs drew criticism from Council Member Frank Morano. Council members, including Oswald Feliz, Phil Wong, Sandy Nurse, Kamillah Hanks, Joann Ariola, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Tiffany Cabán, raised concerns about the accuracy and completeness of the data. Cabán specifically questioned whether police brutality and excessive force incidents are included in the crime statistics, arguing their exclusion could obscure the full picture of crime. While Gerber stated crimes committed by officers are counted, lawful use of force is not.