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2010 Marks Record Low for NYPD Fatal Police-Involved Shootings
City cops were involved in 105 shootings in 2009 - matching 2008's low, a report found.
New York Daily News via YellowBrix
January 12, 2011
NEW YORK CITY – NYPD officers logged a record low number of fatal police-involved shootings last year, a new report shows.
Last year, cops shot and killed eight people, wounding 16 others. The numbers are a sharp decrease from 2009, when police killed 12 and wounded 20.
The report also shows there were 93 police-shooting incidents, which include accidental discharges and the shooting of animals. It was the first year that number fell below 100 in the 40 years police have been keeping records, the stats show.
City cops were involved in 105 shootings in 2009 – matching 2008’s low, a report found. In 1972, cops logged a record high 994 incidents.
“It is a tribute to the police officers’ training and restraint, as well as a reflection of a safer city, that fatalities have plummeted despite an increase in police numbers and in the capacity of their firearms,” said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
In 1971, the first year of recordkeeping, police shot and killed 93 people and wounded 221.
The same year, the department employed 4,000 fewer officers than the 35,000 on the job today. Prior to 1993, police officers were issued a six-shot revolver. Now NYPD officers carry 16-shot semiautomatic pistols.
NYPD statistics also show that the city has the lowest police-involved shootings of any law enforcement department in the nation with last year’s ratio of only 0.34 per 1,000 officers.
cnjbrooks
over 2 years ago
148 Comments
Thats pretty interesting. Figured it would be more considering what they deal with day in and day out.
AKangel
over 2 years ago
4842 Comments
Bump Irishcop1961, and God Bless NYPD
HEYSARGE
over 2 years ago
16802 Comments
Perfect!
Retleo
over 2 years ago
5522 Comments
The early 70's was a time of great social strife and extremist criminals. That would be a big part of why NYPD shooting incidents were so high at that time (as well as why NYPD officers being killed in the line of duty being very high at the time). It is good to see that police involved shooting incidents are down. Hopefully the trend will continue. The men and women of the NYPD do an excellent job under some of the most trying conditions of ALL Law Enforcement.
Irishcop1961
over 2 years ago
37000 Comments
Amazing numbers considering what the NYPD deals with and having a population of about 8 million people.
t1401hm
over 2 years ago
1754 Comments
Technically, this article, while saying positive things, is completely slanted against law enforcement.
"In 1971, the first year of recordkeeping, police shot and killed 93 people and wounded 221."
~there's another person, get em! Two points...
t1401hm
over 2 years ago
1754 Comments
I've been told that semiautos can jam though. Clearly it's good to have more bullets, but I'll stick with my 6 shot revolver hammerless; no jam threats.
t1401hm
over 2 years ago
1754 Comments
If we could just get the reverse stopped in 2011. We've had an officer die every day this year just about.