NYPD: Spike in Brooklyn shootings is related to gangs

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - The mayor and the NYPD chose the Christian Cultural Center in East New York for their monthly crime briefing to underscore their closer connections to the community. They say there was record-setting progress in public safety citywide but some trouble spots are getting extra attention.

The murder rate this March in the 79th Precinct, which includes Bed-Stuy, was double what it was in March 2018, the NYPD said. But in real numbers: two people were killed versus one last year. Shootings rose, too.

Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan said the police department devoted more personnel to deal with increasing gun violence in the 79th Precinct and other Brooklyn North precincts.

The NYPD believes that many shootings and murders are gang-related and increasingly concentrated in specific areas. Monahan said the police are working closely with the Brooklyn district attorney to get gun indictments. Many of the suspects involved in the violence are repeat offenders, he added.

Overall crime is down citywide 7.3% for first quarter 2019, a new record. Commissioner James O'Neill said this is evidence that key strategies like neighborhood policing and precision policing are showing results.