January 6, 2015
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
Bronx, NY – After 50 years, for the second year in a row, the murder rate in Bronx County is under 100. According to a recent piece in the New York Daily News, murders in the Bronx are under 100 for second year in a row. The last time the borough had two consecutive years with fewer than 100 murders was in 1963 and 1964. For this, I have to give Kudos to the Bronx!
We all understand that even one death by murder is too many, and we pray to see the day when there are zero murders in the Bronx and anywhere else. Nonetheless, it is exciting to see that the crime rate here is coming down.
The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. should be proud that after 50 years, under his leadership the murder rate in Bronx County has decreased to figures this borough has not seen since 1963 and 1964. In 2013 there were 80 murders in the Bronx, and in 2014 there were 91.
The NYPD started keeping modern records in 1963, and numbers showed a steady rise in murderous mayhem through the 1970s, ’80s and into the ’90s.
The peak bloodshed came in 1990, when 653 people were slain. The year before that, it was 484; the year after, 553.
It wasn’t until the late 1990s that the rate began to fall under 200 — but it stayed in that range for decades. In 2012, there were 114 murder victims."
The Bronx murder rate has been under 100 for the past two consecutive years. These statistics that show a drop in murder are proof that the NYPD is doing an outstanding job in its efforts to build strong community relations here in the Bronx. We must praise the efforts of the New York City Police Department's Bronx Borough Commander, Precinct Commanders, and Police Officers.
We also have to recognize the efforts of the leaders of the many Bronx faith communities. Our many religious leaders, priests, rabbis, imams and ministers use their houses of worship to fight crime as they teach people to love and respect each other, strengthen family life, and obey the law. Just like Hillary Clinton's book title says, it takes a village.
It is refreshing to see that for the second year in a row, the murder rate in the Bronx is under 100. Kudos to the Bronx!
