NYPD uses fuzzy math when it comes to assigning cops

Wakefield Area News

By Mary V. Lauro 

We have great confidence in NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly and we have no doubt that New York City is the safest large city in the nation. But that statement cannot be made for Wakefield, the 47^th Precinct and, to be fair for any precinct in the Bronx except for the 50^th Precinct which covers Riverdale. Two weeks ago we disclosed crime statistics for the Bronx and, as we do every year. We marveled that the 50^th Pct. keeps diminishing in crime.

One of our reasons for marveling is that police brass has always been fond of saying that it is difficult to lower crime when it is already law. We understand. Nonetheless it is disconcerting, to say the least, to see a 4.7 percent drop in crime in the 50^th Pct. when it has the lowest crime rate in the Bronx, a distinction it holds year after year. But what makes the blood boil is that even so, the 50^th was awarded 8 impact officers! When the needs of the Bronx and especially the 47^th are considered, that is a crime.

Each month the NYPD issues Comp Stet figures showing crimes committed during the month. That is about the extent of information available to the general public. Trying to find out how many officers are assigned to each precinct is another matter. This was always difficult information to obtain, but today it is next to impossible. Transparency is not a virtue of the NYPD. Even so, we were able to glean enough to plead our case, which is that politics is the basic formula for assigning police to precincts regardless of whatever other formula the Department wants to pretend.

The 47^th Pct. had a total crime rate of 1945 in 2010. It was one of three Bronx precincts that rose in crime. It rose 44.4 percent. The 40^th Precinct had 1648 total crime. It also rose in crime, 2.3 percent. It has 257 officers assigned to it. The 47^th has only 247 which includes the 25 impact officers it received this January. On top of that, what must be considered is that the 40^th is only three square miles while the 47^th is 5.2 square miles. In the past two years, the 40^th Pct. dropped 10.53 percent, but the 47^th rose .62 percent. Something wrong here when it comes to controlling crime and the 47^th is getting the short end of the stick.

The 43^rd Precinct has more crime than the 47^th. Even so, it is showing a steady decrease. It dropped 5.86 percent last year and 11 percent in the past two years. It has 261 officers. It is 4.65 square miles.

The 49^th is also in trouble. It is only 3.8 square miles. At a total crime of 1664 it increased over last year by 6.46 percent. Its two-year decrease is only 1.6 percent.

At 5.75 square miles, the 50^th Precinct is slightly larger than the 47^th, but it contains Van Courtland Park while the 47^th has only minimal parkland. We were unable to obtain the number of officers the 50^th is blessed with, but we will bet it is more than their fair share.

It may be argued that the 50^th Precinct does not have in its population as large a criminal element that may exist in the 47^th. If that is so, it would be more reason to increase police presence in the 47^th. Whatever is their need for impact officers is beyond comprehension.

We realize that we have only touched the tip of the iceberg, but we want you to know it is there.