As the city celebrated large-scale reductions in violent crime in 2023, the last month of the year saw a number of crimes spike across Brooklyn, according to the latest NYPD data.
During the 28-day period from Dec. 3-31, major felonies — defined by the NYPD as murder, rape, burglary, robbery, felony assault, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto — increased in more than half of Brooklyn’s 23 police precincts, compared to the same time period last year. The rate of major felonies increased 5.60% in the Brooklyn North and decreased just .93% in Brooklyn South.
Brooklyn North saw robberies rise 43.9%, assaults 8.7%, and grand larceny 25%; with 200 robberies, 288 assaults, and 404 incidents of grand larceny reported between Dec. 3 and 31. A total of 1,188 major felonies across all categories were reported in the patrol during that time period.
However, the patrol also saw a murders drop 60%, rape 10%, burglary 10.8%, and grand larceny auto 6.2%.
Brooklyn South saw some similar patterns, with decreases in murder, burglary, and grand larceny – but upticks in rape, robbery, assault, and grand larceny auto. During the 28-day period, rape rose 46.2%, robbery rose just over 11%, assault rose 10%, and grand larceny auto rose 33.1% — with 19 rapes, 147 robberies, 253 assaults, and 157 incidents of grand larceny auto recorded in the patrol.
During the same period, Brooklyn South saw murders drop 25%, burglary 12.8%, and grand larceny 13.6%.
Across Brooklyn, robbery, rape, assault, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto were among the most commonly-reported crimes between Dec. 3-31. Felony assault increased in 16 of the borough’s 23 precincts — the 60th, 61st, 62nd, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 76th, 73rd, 75th, 77th, 83rd, 84th, 90th, and 94th.
Of those precincts, assault rose most dramatically in the 90th Precinct in Williamsburg, where 24 assaults were reported during the 28-day period – up 140% from 10 during the same time period last year. Both the 61st Precinct, which encompasses Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, and Gravesend; and the 68th Precinct, which includes Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, saw a 55.6% increase in reported assaults.
Grand larceny auto increased in 15 precincts — the 60th, 62nd, 63rd, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st, 72nd, 78th, 73rd, 79th, 83rd, and 84th. Though grand larceny auto was down overall in Brooklyn North, the patrol saw some dramatic increases in the crime — grand larceny auto rose 125%, from 12 to 27, in Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct. The 66th Precinct, including Borough Park, Midwood, and Kensington, saw the most significant rise in grand larceny auto between Dec. 3-31 — incidents of the crime rose 225%, from 4 in 2022 to 13 in 2023.
Robbery also rose in 15 precincts — the 60th, 62nd, 63rd, 66th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 72nd, 75th, 77th, 79th, 83rd, 84th, 88th, and 90th. Reported robberies rose 166.7% in the 70th Precinct, which encompasses Midwood, Ditmas Park, and Prospect Park South; 140%, from 5 to 12, in the 88th Precinct, which includes Fort Greene and Clinton Hill; and 107%, from 14 to 29, in Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct.
Outside of the seven major felonies, Brooklyn North saw an increase in transit crimes and a 300% increase in hate crimes from Dec. 3-31, while Brooklyn South saw a decrease in transit crimes but a 62.5% increase in hate crimes and an 85.7% rise in shooting incidents.
