Mayor Mike Spano and Police Commissioner Charles Gardner, with members of the Yonkers City Council and Yonkers police executives, recently announced the City of Yonkers crime statistics for calendar year 2018.
The Yonkers Police Department strategy for reducing crime focuses department resources on five priority areas: guns, gangs, drugs, pattern crimes, and the search for wanted persons. Through extensive intelligence gathering and crime analysis, YPD is able to identify the small number of people who commit the majority of the city’s most serious crime. Simultaneously, the department deploys numerous community outreach programs and initiatives in an effort to build trust and cooperation with the community and residents.
This strategy has produced significant result: 2018 is the safest year on record for the City of Yonkers; the city is the number-one safest city in the United States, as compared to similarly sized cities; and Yonkers is the number-one safest large city in the state.
Specifically, for 2018 versus 2017, “part one” crimes are down 13.1 percent (FBI uniformed crime reporting): murders are down 89 percent, rapes are down 14 percent, robberies are down 22 percent, felony assaults are down 35 percent, burglaries are down 25 percent, larcenies are down 10 percent, and motor vehicle thefts are down 15 percent.
In addition, all four precincts experienced double-digit reductions in crime, shooting incident are down 46 percent, and 2018 saw only one murder – a historic first-time low for the city
Compared to the start of Spano’s administration, part 1 crimes are down 42.4 percent (FBI uniformed crime reporting), murders are down 86 percent, robberies are down 54, and burglaries are down 64 percent.
Additionally, as a result of this precision policing strategy, since 2011, arrests have been reduced by 35 percent, public order arrests (disorderly conduct, obstruction, etc.) have been reduced over 50 percent, civilian complaints against police officers are down 46 percent, and civilian excessive-force complaints against police officers are down 84 percent.
“These outstanding statistics are attributed to the new, innovative approach taken by our Yonkers Police Department toward public safety,” said Spano. “I applaud the good work and synergy created between our community and police officers so that Yonkers continues to be a great place to live, work and play.”
Gardner added: “We are very fortunate here in Yonkers because we have a mayor and city government that steadfastly supports our police department and ensures we have the resources necessary to provide the highest level of service to our residents, and our success is the direct the result of the hardworking, dedicated men and women of this department who are out there on our streets every day – putting themselves in harm’s way to protect and serve the people of this great city.”
Additional crime statistics for the City of Yonkers may be found at www.yonkersny.gov/ypd. FBI rniformed crime reporting statistics may be found at www.ucrdatatool.gov.
