Violent crime was down substantially during the first five months of the year in Kingston, according to crime statistics kept by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Hudson Valley Correspondent Hank Gross has more on the statistics, which show a 34 percent drop in violent crime...
To date this year, violent crime dropped 34 percent. There were no murders or rapes and robberies were down 44 percent. Burglaries were down 17 percent, although larceny arrests increased.
Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright said there may be a reason for the drop in crime.
“It’s probably too early to say that the sweep that we did is a direct of these statistics, but certainly that seems to have had an impact and we are quite encouraged by those numbers,” Carnright said.
A number of law enforcement agencies participated in Operation Clean Sweep earlier this year.
The rise in larcenies, though, could be the result of the continued weak economy, Carnright said.
Police Chief Egidio Tinti credited the DA’s office for its prosecution of the cases and praised the police officers involved. He said it is through the “strengthened commitment and teamwork of our local law enforcement agencies that we are able to better serve the community.”
Tinti also gave credit to the state for its Operation Impact funding that provides the resources and supplies for proactive police protection.
