Here are the latest CompStat numbers from the 72nd precinct (click to enlarge). They do not include what sadly appears to be the first murder of the year, which took place early on the morning of March 10. I hope to have more on that soon.

Below is a comment from reader and longtime Sunset Park resident Tony Giordano left on the last Crime Stats post. I thought, for those who missed it, it might provide food for thought. What’s your take on crime in the neighborhood?

March 13, 2010 at 1:12 pm: We’re coming up against an “invisible” enemy. Rudy Giuliani took credit for the dramatic drop in crime. Yet NYC crime was dropping under Dinkins before Rudy took office. In fact, crime was dropping across the nation. Experts agreed – they didn’t know what caused the drop. The traditional cause and effect items – the number of young people, the economy, didn’t correspond. In the end, no one knew why crime dropped, but everyone was willing to take credit.

The good news was, that the drop in crime allowed NYPD to reorganize their attack on crime – it gave them “breathing” space – for the first time, they were able to get ahead of the problem. The institution of ComStat was huge in maintaining the low levels. And it was for a very simple reason – supervisors were being held responsible. NYPD was notoriously corrupt for generations, now ComStat held bosses (precinct commanders) responsible for the crime in their precinct.

But we are losing ground and have been for a few years. But good juggling of statistics and creative manipulation of how to “label” crimes has kept the numbers good. But push will come to shove now. NYPD has to redeploy its cops. There are too many jobs they do that don’t require police or are more for show than for true effect. A simple example – the cops who sit in their patrol car on the Brooklyn Bridge 24 hours a day. Or the NYPD patrol boat that sits in the East River looking at the Brooklyn Bridge. Also, too many cops are used for traffic duty – waving at cars. And too many for parade duty or giving summoneses. Also, NYPD has to keep their cops longer. No more 10 to 20 years and gone. Keep cops to 55 or longer and put them on the desk duty jobs or low profile ticketing or traffic duty. And have cops contribute to their pensions.

This can go on and on. Do I feel safer? Right now yes, but i am old enough to remember Sunset Park being very dangerous because our police were not doing their job.

Image of Brooklyn Typology's density map

I love me a map. Stacks of charts, graphs and plans provide the foundation for any city project, and offer those interested in neighborhoods a huge amount of information. Databases and public records can prove goldmines, but visual depictions serve up information in more palatable bites.

Though BestViewinBrooklyn has closed for business, its blogger still keeps an eye on Sunset Park. Last week, I got an email about a map of population density in Brooklyn.

Sunset Park has one of the highest. Census tract 100, blockgroup 2 boasts 159.59 people per acre, making it the eleventh densest area in Brooklyn. Flatbush’s tract 508, blockgroup 4 tops the list at a whopping 333 people per acre. One difference, however, is the number of units per acre. Whereas Flatbush as 108 unit per acre for those 333 people, Sunset Park packs 159 into about 47 units per acre, mostly in the form of two- to four-flat buildings. That means that Sunset Park averages 3.4 people per unit, slightly higher than Flatbush’s 3.08.

Interested? Check out the density data, the map, or other troves of info on the site. The map is part of Fake is the New Real, a collection of maps, art and lists by artists and urban planner Neil Freeman. This particular project, Brooklyn Typology, bring census data to life. And makes it pretty. Take a look–then leave a comment. What did you learn about our fair borough?