Council to grill NYPD on crime trends

City lawmakers will interrogate NYPD officials Wednesday over crime figures that haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels and reports of officers allegedly refusing to take complaint reports.

Crime down year-over-year, but still elevated

Major felonies dropped nearly 6% compared to last year, but remain up 25% versus 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Felony assaults are among the categories requiring attention.

“We've made progress on many issues, including shootings and murders, but when we look at crime statistics from 2019, it is clear there is still significant room for progress.”

Police downplay pre-pandemic comparisons

The NYPD under both Mayor Mamdani and his predecessor Eric Adams has repeatedly highlighted record drops in shootings and murders, but rarely compares these figures to 2019 when the city hit record low crime numbers.

Officers accused of discouraging reports

Councilmembers will question NYPD brass over claims that residents were discouraged from filing criminal complaints. A viral video showed someone told "Welcome to NYC" after reporting harassment in Washington Square Park.

“Welcome to NYC, brotherz.”

Councilmembers demand audit transparency

Councilman Phil Wong called for the NYPD to release details of audits on the report-taking process and identify instances when criminal complaints should have been filed but were not.

“When crime truly goes down, our police officers deserve the credit. But the numbers only mean something if every crime is reported and reported accurately.”

Police commissioner unlikely to attend

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch is not expected to attend the hearing. The police commissioner historically skips oversight council meetings, typically only appearing during budget negotiations.