Mapped here are the eight murders that took place in the 72nd precinct during 2009. Click on the figures to see details the circumstances of each death
New York last year celebrated the lowest murder rate since the city began to keep statistics in the 1960s, but Brooklyn’s 72nd precinct bucked the citywide trend with eight murders, one more death than in 2008.
The precinct, which patrols Windsor Terrace, Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park, in 2009 saw a 14.3 percent jump in murders since last year, and 33.3 percent since 2001. Homicides have however dropped 55.6 percent since 1993–the city saw an annual average of 2000 murders during the early nineties.
The victims and those arrested for the murders in the 72nd have for the large part been young men. Of the eight people killed (one of which was a woman) not one had celebrated a thirtieth birthday. Of the three men accused of murder, not one had reached 25. The murders were concentrated in the second half of the year–seven of the eight took place since August.
Overall crime in the 72nd dropped ten percent in the twelve month period, and nearly 40 percent since 2001. While felony assault and burglary showed only modest reductions, the year marked a 22 percent reduction in both robberies and car thefts. Rapes, however, rose 57 percent, from seven in 2008 to 11 last year.
View 2009 Murder in Sunset Park, Brooklyn in a larger map
