For the first six months of 2007 crime (reported incidents, not arrests) has dropped. Overall crime is down 5% with violent crime dropping 6%. Rape and robbery have dropped by more than 10%.
No doubt we can expect Mayor Tutunjian to straddle the coattails of this statewide trend and issue a press release about Troy. Lets take a look at some numbers:
Overall, crime is down:
12.1% in Albany;
11.5% in Kingston;
9.5% in Poughkeepsie;
14.6% in Schenectady;
14.9% in Syracuse.
Violent crime is down:
4.8% in Albany;
19.5% in Buffalo;
18.7% in Yonkers;
12.6% in Rochester.
Robbery? down in Albany, Buffalo, Kingston, Niagara Falls City, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Yonkers, Utica.
Overall, crime is up in:
Binghamton - 5.0%
Newburgh - 21.9%
Troy - 1.8%
The slight rise in overall crime looks isn't the real concern. Violent crime? Up in Troy, 5.9% Robbery? Up in Troy, 17.9% Murder up...property crime up...burglary up.... And now, the Mayor's Press Release:
Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian announced today that based on Department of Criminal Justice statistics, the City of Troy is now safer than Newburgh, NY. Although conceeding that the robbery rate in Newburgh was much lower than Troy's, the Mayor insists that Troy is still the place to be. "No one wants to be robbed," said the mayor. "But, if you have to be robbed, make sure you're victimized, here, in Troy, surrounded by lovely Victorian architecture and quaint, boutique shops. Afterwards, try some chowder. We had a festival in August."
SILENCE FROM THE CHAIR
Where does Public Safety Chair, Carolin Collier stand on this rise in crime? Well, when crime rose under a Democratic administration, you didn't want to get between Carolin and a reporter:
"The DCJS figures show that in each of the seven crime categories tracked, an increase occurred from 2001 to 2002, including a 12 percent spike in violent crimes and a 15 percent jump in property crimes.The statistics had some city officials seeking answers on Thursday.
"Mayor Pattison has told us on numerous occasions over the past several weeks that crime is down in Troy when defending his administration's policing policies," said Council Member Carolin Collier, R-District 6. "One can only wonder why the mayor and the police commissioner (Mark Whitman), through the numerous public safety committee meetings that have been held, haven't advised the council of this large increase in the rate of crime.
"Council President Harry Tutunjian, R-at-large, said increasing crime rates concerned him as well, and that it's time something is done."It's time to take off the rose-colored glasses," Tutunjian said. "I've always said that we need more officers on the street and less in upper management."We need to get back to basic, everyday crime fighting." -The Record 12/27/02
"Councilwoman Carolin Collier, R-District 6, said Tuesday she was concerned that a 3.3 percent decrease in crime throughout the Empire State during 2002 has not been reflected in Troy.Collier, who has taken issue with the Police Department and its amount of overtime since being elected in 2001, wondered why Police Commissioner Mark Whitman had explained away Troy's 16 percent increase in crime during 2002 as a trend that was happening throughout the state.
"When the Troy figures were released, Commissioner Whitman stated crime was up throughout the state," Collier said. "However, we now find that crime is actually down statewide. Troy's figures stick out like a sore thumb. The taxpayers in Troy are spending over $10 million a year on crime-fighting techniques that don't necessarily seem to be working."
"There is no doubt the men and women of the Troy PD are doing their best, but the approach used by the administration appears not to be hitting the mark. I think it is reasonable to ask why is crime down statewide, along with New York City, but increasing dramatically in the city of Troy, New York? In fact, in the Northeast in general, crime is down over 3 percent." - The Record 6/18/03
"Because Mayor Mark Pattison and Whitman often talk about how crime is down in Troy more than any other city in the area, the news that crime had indeed jumped brought criticism, as expected, from the Republican side of the City Council.Councilwoman Carolin Collier, R-District 6, a staunch proponent of keeping overtime costs down, was disappointed that crime had risen after the city spent nearly a million dollars in overtime last year.
"These figures are of concern because while we are spending more in overtime in the police department, crime is increasing at the same time," Collier said. "We must be sure that we are making the maximum effort using taxpayer dollars to fight crime in the most efficient manner possible." - The Record 1/29/03
Collier's recent comments on crime in Troy under a Republican administration:
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