Top law enforcement officials report a surge in serious crimes in Long Island as a result of a rise in property offense

A dramatic elevation in incidents of property offenses caused major criminal activity to be 41% higher in Nassau and 15% greater in Suffolk counties in 2020 compared to the year prior, figures which have been announced to Newsday by Long Island's two most extensive police departments, according to top law-enforcement officers.

Statistics indicate that the number of crimes in Nassau rose to 7,394 in 2022 from 5,228 the prior year, while in Suffolk it enlarged to 17,132 from 15,132 in 2021.

In separate interviews with Newsday, Rodney Harrison (Commissioner of Suffolk Police) and Patrick Ryder (Commissioner of Nassau Police) pointed to a significant rise in property offenses (like grand theft, car theft, and robberies) for the amplified overall crime rate.

Harrison and Ryder related that they were cheered to observe that their departments had made advances against crimes of violence in the course of 2022 by breaking down data to pinpoint those committing the crimes, as well as the times and locations where they were liable to recur. Nassau's data is from the entirety of 2022, and Suffolk's extends up to the 3rd of December.

Ryder remarked that "the news is that crime is rising," but presented the data that suggest violent crimes in the area have decreased, with murder reaching its lowest point in 63 years this past year.

Harrison attributed the rise in property crimes to the increased retail theft occurring in Suffolk County, as reported by Ryder.

Harrison declared, "I refuse to offer explanations. We have to improve. We will make progress."

Nassau Legislator Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury), a member of the Public Safety Committee, explained that her constituents have been reporting a decrease in violent crime and an increase in property crime, corroborating the recent data.

Bynoe shared that in her experience in Nassau, people generally feel secure in themselves yet remain apprehensive of the safety of their residences and possessions. She noticed many in this area have invested in home surveillance cameras and other security measures in an effort to protect themselves from criminal activity.

Harrison and Ryder promised to reduce the incidence of property offenses and stated that their officers will act to tackle such offenses in 2023.

When asked what plan he would employ to combat the culprits, Ryder answered: "Most effectively utilizing the available material combined with the information available… We do not resort to what we did many years ago, such as flooding an area with police officers to displace criminals; only to have them return when we depart. Instead, we insert intelligence-led concentrated deterrence tactics combined with knowledge of the major individuals."

Harrison, a longtime NYPD official who just completed his first year as Suffolk commissioner, said his teams use “precision policing” when fighting violent crime patterns.

He expressed in an interview in his office at Suffolk police headquarters in Yaphank that accountability for those who commit violent acts is one of his main focuses. He continued by outlining the concept of interdicting policing – identifying where the next incident will likely occur – as a way to station the appropriate law enforcement to prevent further violence. His point was emphasized by noting that gun arrests have increased.

It seems that a reduction in murders in Nassau and Suffolk is reflective of a decreasing trend across the country. As of yet, the FBI has not released data for 2022, though AH Datalytics, an organization specializing in criminal justice matters, reported 8,888 murders that year - a 5% reduction from the 2021 assessment of 9,351. Additionally, the Major Cities Chiefs Association surveyed 70 law enforcement offices and concluded that murders declined by 2.4% between January and June of 2022, from 4,624 to 4,511.

The commissioners expressed optimism in light of other indicators of criminality, such as decreases in gun violence and overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal. Regrettably, the worries developed by the coronavirus pandemic have provoked an increase in overdose cases, as officials noted.

Ryder stressed the importance of the three numbers that determined the success of their operations at the Nassau County Police Academy, home to the agency's intelligence department. He explained, "These numbers are all related to life and death. Our homicides decreased by 40%, our fatalities from overdoses dropped by 30%, and nonfatal overdoses went down by 21%. Meanwhile, our shooting incidences decreased by 16%."

Harrison cautioned that criminal offenses on Long Island are perpetuated by individuals from New York City and other far-flung areas.

We are collaborating with all associated police organizations, the local prosecutor's office, and neighboring regions, including Nassau County and New York City - this challenge is not limited to Suffolk County; it extends to all of New York.

In Nassau, grand larceny cases soared more than 43%, climbing from 3,201 to 4,584 in the span of a year. There was a 35% increase in burglaries, going from 640 in 2021 to 877 in 2022, with residential burglaries surging by nearly 56%. Additionally, incidents of stolen vehicles rose 72.55%, shooting up from 561 in 2021 to 968 in 2022.

In order to deal with the wave of crime, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Ryder partnered with the Newark Police Department and the U.S. Marshals in July of 2021, with an aim to take down the criminal organization responsible for the stealing of cars from Nassau and shipping them to New Jersey.      

In April, five Nassau officials got hurt when the teens hired by the organization to snatch cars struck the officers’ patrol cars - so officials are now going after the profession.

“We are pursuing the ring," stated Ryder. "We have an ongoing probe in progress regarding the Newark crowd. We plan to initiate a federal case against them.”

Moreover, Ryder noted that the majority of these auto thefts could have been avoided.

“92% of our stolen vehicles," Ryder said, "belong to individuals who left their car keys inside.”