Crime is down in the City of Syracuse according to the latest statistics. The Mayor and police officials say they aren't declaring victory in the fight against crime, but are pointing to certain programs that are helping keep numbers down.
Mayor Ben Walsh says overall crime is down over 27 percent through the first seven months of the year, according to the latest COMPSTAT report. That goes for both violent crime, down 18 percent, and property crime, down 29 percent. Walsh says the city figures mirror national crime stats.
"We are seeing nationwide these crime statistics on a downward trajectory," Walsh said. "But even when compared to the national averages, we are often significantly lower. In some cases, more than double. So homicides, the national average down 17%, we're down 33%."
So why is crime down? Police Chief Joe Cecile credits proactive policing. One program he points to is called COPRA, which requires officers to step out of their cars three times during a shift, in a high-crime area, and walk a beat for 20 minutes.
"The idea is twofold, to prevent the crime and trend from occurring, but also to see if they can glean some information from people who live in the neighborhood, who work in the neighborhood, about why this trend is occurring so they can push the investigation further forward and possibly solve the crime and stop it completely," he said.
Cecile also credits the mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence. Director Lateef Johnson-Kinsey says outreach efforts on that front are growing, also with a proactive approach.
"Our trend is to make sure that people know that we see them, that young people know that we care for them and that we want better for them," said Johnson-Kinsey. "And we're not just waiting for something to happen. "
All COMPSTAT crime statistics are available on the city’s website.
