Citywide Spike In Crime Also Seen In Forest Hills

A surge in violent crime and rape has struck the city over the last fiscal year an article over the weekend in the New York Daily News reports.

Between June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, homicides in the city rose by more than six percent, robbery jumped just under four percent, and assault jumped nearly five percent.

The biggest jump, alarmingly, was in the number of forcible rapes citywide, which saw a 32.3 percent jump over the twelve month period.

The Daily News also reported that during those months, the NYPD response time rose by almost one minute.

Astoria Councilman Peter Vallone, who chairs the city council’s public safety committee, said the budget should be increased to allow an extra 1,800 new recruits to hit the streets.

In the 112 Precinct, which includes Rego Park and Forest Hills, the spike in crime can clearly be seen, with, among other things, a 400 percent increase in rape for the same period between 2010 and 2011. There have been 10 reported rapes in the precinct so far this year, with just two reported last year. The 10 reported rapes easily beats the total reported in all of 2010, when just four occurred in the precinct.

While robbery and felony assault are down for the year, grand larceny and burglaries are both up, with 30 percent more larcenies occurring this year than last.