60th precinct / population 104,278
Everyone loves Coney Island in the summer. But the area has seen its share of ups and downs, going from America's favorite beach and playland prior to World War II to a gangland of drugs and neglect by the 1970s. Coney and its down-the-beach neighbor, Brighton Beach, however, have been transformed in recent years, as waves of Russian immigrants turned around this once-threadbare enclave into a desirable place to live and play, year-round.
The city has tried to capitalize on the turnaround by pushing for added amusements and attractions to go along with the famous Cyclone roller coaster, the landmarked Parachute Drop and the Brooklyn Cyclones' baseball stadium.
A big part of that newfound allure is the area's dramatic improvement in safety. The 60th Precinct, which includes both oceanfront neighborhoods, saw a 72 percent drop in major crimes from 1993 to 2010. Robberies were down by 76 percent, felony assaults by 71 percent and shootings by two-thirds during that time. In 2010, the area had 127 crimes per 10,000 residents, earning it 34th place for per capita crime in DNAinfo.com's Crime & Safety Report.
More worrisome is the 6 percent uptick in total crime from 2009 to 2010. Car thefts jumped 22 percent, robberies rose 10 percent, and reported rapes soared 80 percent from 2009 to 2010, jumping from 10 to 18 instances and ranking the neighborhood 36th for that category.
With 10 murders in 2010, Coney Island and Brighton Beach together rank a lowly 52nd of 69 neighborhoods for that category; and with 20 felony assaults per 10,000 residents, the area ranks 37th safest for that crime. There were 48 violent crimes per 10,000 residents in 2010, giving the a violent crime ranking of 39th of 69 New York City neighborhoods.
80%
Increase in rapes from 2009 to 2010
46%
Drop in buglaries from 2001 to 2010
Photo: Twitter
Harlem Teen Tysha Jones Gunned Down on Beach Boardwalk
Tysha Jones, 19, had been sitting on a bench with friends on the boardwalk near Ocean Parkway at about 5:20 p.m. on June 9, 2011, when someone opened fire. Jones was hit beneath the left arm and killed. Four other bystanders were wounded. Moments earlier, friends had photographed Jones laughing and splashing in the surf (Jones wears a black swimsuit in the photograph, left). The beach was packed with high school students that day, because of a school holiday. There had been a fight moments earlier on the beach in which one man was struck over the head with a bottle and another hit with a beach umbrella, police said. However, Jones had nothing to do with the brawl. Days later, witnesses led the police to reputed gang member and suspected shooter, Iloune Driver, 19, who worked at an East New York fast food restaurant. He has maintained his innocence.
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