The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.com
Brooklyn’s violent crime rate dropped in March, according to the latest NYPD data — marking the fourth consecutive month where crime was down year-over-year.
In the 28-day period from March 3-31, the overall rate of major felonies — murder, rape, burglary, assault, robbery, grand larceny, and grand larcent auto — was down just over 6% compared to the same period in 2024. Murder dropped almost 40%, from 13 in 2024 to eight this year; rape also decreased significantly despite spikes in some neighborhoods.
Violent crime has decreased year-over-year every month since December in Kings County and across the city. NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch has attributed the drop to “zone-based policing,” which deploys more officers to “hot spot” neighborhoods experiencing more crime; and to increased officers patrolling the city’s streets and subways.
While the Brooklyn police precincts with the highest crime rates did see decreases in March, decreases were inconsistent, and the number of crimes reported in those neighborhoods remained high.
For example, the 70th Precinct — which includes Midwood, Ditmas Park, and Prospect Park South — saw a 53% rise in violent crime, the highest of any of Brooklyn’s 23 police precincts. A total of 129 major felonies were reported in the 70th between March 3-31, up from 84 during the same period last year.
In Bushwick’s 83rd Precinct — which saw the largest decrease in crime — major felonies were down more than 35%, from 147 last year to 95 this year.
Meanwhile, while major felonies were down more than 10% in the 75th Precinct — which includes East New York and Cypress Hills — the precinct still saw 243 total incidents. In Brownsville’s 73rd Precinct, 102 incidents were reported, though crime in the nabe was down 17% year-over-year.
The borough also saw a number of high-profile shootings and murders, especially in the Brooklyn North patrol — where homicide and shootings were up 40% and 16%, respectively.
On March 14, 27-year-old Michael Hernandez was fatally stabbed near Barclays Center. Police later arrested 18-year-old Noah Rentas in connection with the killing.
Two men were left injured by a March 20 shooting in Bushwick, and a 17-year-old was shot in the nabe days later.
Earlier in the month, the borough was rocked by three separate murders in a 12-hour span. On March 7, a 23-year-old man was fatally shot in the lobby of a Bed-Stuy apartment building. Early the next day, 45-year-old Steven Battle was shot and killed less than a mile away, and 47-year-old Donald Nesbit was stabbed to death in Bed-Stuy hours later.
