Violent crimes continue to rise in New York City

NEW YORK - New York City continues to see a rise in certain violent crimes, including gun incidents, according to new data from the NYPD.

Shooting incidents across the city increased 121% this October compared to the same month in 2019, police said. The number of gun-related arrests more than doubled in the same period.

The number of murders last month fell by one compared to a year earlier but murders are up more than 37% so far this year (387 killings) compared to the first 10 months of 2019 (282), police said.

"From the COVID-19 outbreak through upticks in violent crime to the continuing work of facilitating peaceful protests throughout the city, the 2020 calendar year has confronted our officers and the city's residents with unprecedented challenges," the NYPD said in a statement. "Through it all, our mutual resiliency has come through."

Burglaries and auto thefts were also up last month compared to a year earlier, the NYPD said. Burglaries rose to 1,363 from 1,031 in 2019 while 933 vehicles were stolen in October 2020 compared to 522 the year before.

"We will continue to be relentless in our mission to ensure public safety by working hand-in-hand with those we are sworn to serve and to deliver fair and exceptional police services," Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a statement.