Albany Leader: Contrary to perception, crime is decreasing

Albany leaders say despite that perception, crime rates are trending in the right direction.

Police Chief Eric Hawkins said homicides were down 31% compared to the same period last year. The number of weapons confiscated on the streets has increased by 48%.

Hawkins said his staff will do their job to keep the community safe by deploying officers to hot spots.

One such hotspot is in Madison Park, where two people shot at each other.

He acknowledges that some people still feel that crime is on the rise.

“I think the way to deal with this is to have these types of forms, get information out to the public, get correct information out to the public, accurate information,” he said.

At this time there have been 11 homicides compared to 16 last year.

Other statistics include a 16% decrease in thefts, a 17% decrease in burglaries and a 39% decrease in motor vehicle thefts.

The number of shooting victims increased from 54 to 62 and the number of shootings increased from 44 to 51.

They made progress fighting crime despite losing 60 sworn officers, they said.

Find out what Mayor Kathy Hochul thinks about the statistics in the video.