News Scan

Violent Crime Up in NYC:  The Big Apple experienced a spike in shootings and homicides in 2019, breaking a four-year streak of declines.  Wes Parnell and Thomas Tracy of the New York Daily News report that homicides were up by almost 8% last year, which was the first increase since 2017.  The head of the Police Benevolent Association predicted that recent policies benefiting defendants would continue to drive the crime rate up.  Police unions were also warning that a new law taking effect on January 1 which eliminates bail for most misdemeanors will also encourage more crime over the year ahead.  But city officials see the uptick as a statistical anomaly and Mayor de Blasio said that he would address the increase and “turn this situation around.”