Gun Arrests Hit High, Murders On Rise In September: NYPD

NEW YORK CITY — September ended as a particularly bloody month in New York City, according to newly-release crime statistics.

By its close, murders claimed the lives of 51 New Yorkers and cops logged 152 shooting incidents across the city, NYPD crime statistics show.

Cops did manage to clear guns off the streets — their 607 gun arrests are the highest number counted since NYPD started tracking them in 1994, officials said. They broke that record with about 2,500 fewer cops after academy classes were canceled and retirements, authorities said.

“Despite the unparalleled challenges they face every day, our officers continue to engage with the community and zero in on the drivers of crime,” said Commissioner Dermot Shea in a statement.

The city's violent crime surge recently has become the focus of national attention. President Donald Trump has directed his ire at his hometown and labeled it an "anarchist jurisdiction" at risk of losing federal funding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while he pushed back on Trump's comment and action, has also chided city officials for letting crime surge.

For his part, Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the city and places the blame on a "perfect storm" of circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Crime is still at historic lows, even with the recent surges in violence, de Blasio and other officials have pointed out.

Overall crime increased 2 percent across the city in September, according to the NYPD. Murders are up 40 percent so far this year, authorities said.