by Ari Ephraim Feldman
NY1 Spectrum News
March 28, 2022

Newly compiled precinct-level data of shooting incidents show stark trends in gun violence in New York City: Even as the five boroughs experience an overall rise in shootings, some historic hotspots are seeing a marked decrease from the 2020 crime spike, while other areas continue to see more shootings.

… The reasons for precinct-to-precinct differences in shooting trends are many, according to law enforcement officials, academics, violence interrupters and activists. Prosecutors credit takedowns of youth street crews with declining violence in Brooklyn; and activists point to the varying degrees of impact of the pandemic and overlap with ongoing crises like opioid addiction as likely culprits in exacerbating violent crime.

“The things that cause crime to go up and down are largely societal, structural,” said Jeffrey Butts, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “It’s about employment, poverty rates, drug abuse, types of drug being abused, neighborhood conditions.”

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