NYC has spike in shootings, other major crimes to start year

New York City has started 2020 with a bang — marking nearly 30% more shootings amid a rise in most major crimes, official NYPD statistics revealed Monday.

Serious crime increased in five of seven categories, with only murders and rapes down since the start of the year when compared to the same time period in 2019, according to police data compiled through Sunday.

In that time the NYPD recorded 70 shooting incidents in which at least one person was injured, up 27.3% from the 55 counted during the same time period last year.

But the number of victims — 83 — grew at an even greater pace, up 40.7% from the 59 shot over the first month last year.

The biggest surge, meanwhile, was in auto thefts, which skyrocketed 70% to 617 vehicles stolen — or about 20 a day.

Robberies rose by almost 35%, with 1,355 people victimized by muggers and other thugs.

Burglaries, grand larcenies and felony assaults were also up by 18.3%, 10.6% and 8.5%, respectively.

Murders dipped from 31 to 25, almost 20%, and rapes fell at a similar rate, from 165 to 135.

There were also increases in some minor crimes, with petit larceny and misdemeanor assault up 15.1% and 2.7%, respectively.

NYPD sources blamed the alarming situation on the state’s controversial new bail-reform law, which mandates the release of most defendants charged with misdemeanors and felonies considered “non-violent.”

“Right now, it’s almost a lawless society,” one source said.

“Criminals now know there are no consequences for their actions, and they are causing havoc for innocent people of New York City.”

Another source pointed to a front-page report in The Post last week about an alleged drunk driver who’s accused of telling cops, “The laws changed, I’ll be out tomorrow” — then got sprung following his arrest in a deadly Long Island crash.

“Criminals are emboldened and they themselves are stating it,” the source said.

“The word is out, they know that no matter what they are back on the street after arraignment.”

Last month, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea also tied bail reform to “significant spikes” in crime during the first three weeks of the new year.

“If you let out individuals that commit a lot of crime, that’s precision policing in reverse and we’re seeing the effects in a very quick time, and that is why we’re so concerned,” Shea said.

Gov. Cuomo, who championed bail reform and signed it into law last year, called it an “ongoing process” during his annual budget address last month, suggesting that it could be amended in the “coming weeks.”

Top aides to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-The Bronx) have also been secretly meeting with lawmakers who want to roll back the law, The Post exclusively reported last week.

Despite the increasing number of crimes, the CompStat figures show that total arrests this year are down by almost 20%.

In the transit system, where complaints were up 33.8%, arrests dropped a nearly comparable 30.1%.

“Part of it is the hands-off approach that comes from City Hall,” a high-ranking police source said.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “This administration has had the same approach to policing since January 2014, and the longer term trends reflect the city’s safety.”

Additional reporting by Julia Marsh