Updated 08/02/2011 11:14 PM
Advocates Mark National Night Out Against Crime
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Communities across the five boroughs as well as the nation took part Tuesday in the National Night Out Against Crime to promote police-community relations.
The event is a chance for police, the community and officials to come together to talk about crime prevention and awareness.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other elected officials are stopping by several neighborhoods tonight.
In East Harlem, music filled 106th Street as officers from the 23rd precinct joined their community for a block party.
The event also aims to strengthen the partnership between residents and police. Officials said the crime rate has plummeted over the last two decades thanks to that cooperation.
"It is probably the most important ingredient that we have in keeping this city safe, the partnership with the communities that we serve, whether it's taking guns off the street or stopping the sale of drugs," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
"You look at the last 28 years, or 20 years in New York City. The community working with law enforcement has brought about the greatest crime decline, I think, in any major city in America. We're here to celebrate that success," said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. "And it is a success because the community partners with our office, the DA's office and with the police, and it's working."
Crime in the city is on pace to stay at or near its historic lows, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that is something to celebrate.
"You know, New Yorkers are safer from crime than anytime in the last half a century," said the mayor.
"I feel pretty safe in this neighborhood. You know, it's gotten a lot better from like, 20 years ago. It's definitely coming along," said one Harlem resident.
"Well, it depends what you call 'a lot better.' They have changed it. It has changed a lot. It has gotten better to an extent. You have less violence, less crime out there," said another.
According to police statistics, during the first six months of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010, citywide rapes citywide had increased by nearly 15 percent, but murders had decreased by nearly 13 percent.