Bob Hennelly
WNYC's Bob Hennelly is an award-winning investigative journalist. While at WNYC he has reported on a wide gamut of major public policy questions ranging from immigration and homeland security to power outages and utility mergers.
Crime Rate Up as Police Force Shrinks
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
New York, NY –
For years New Yorkers enjoyed major drops in crime even as the police force shrank. But as WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports some experts warn that further proposed layoffs may be ill-advised.
REPORTER: New York is still enjoying a record low crime rate, but so far this year crime is up citywide in four out of seven key FBI categories, including murder. Gene O'Donnell is a professor at John Jay College. He says even isolated events like Easter gang violence in Midtown should not be dismissed.
O'DONNELL: I think we’re in danger of under reacting at this point. I think that we’re sort of coasting and hoping that there won’t be a repeat, and expecting that that won’t happen, just cause it hasn’t happened you know up until now. These kinds of events should get us back to the vigilance we need to observe.
REPORTER: Just before 9/11 the NYPD had 41,000 officers. The Department is now at 35,000 but could drop closer to 32,000 by next year.
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