Shootings skyrocket after NYPD disbands 'anti-crime' units: 'This is what the politicians wanted'

The New York Police Department announced last week that it would disband its controversial "anti-crime units," impacting about 600 NYPD officers who patrolled in plainclothes.

The move was applauded by those who seek immediate police reform in the wake of the tragic killing of George Floyd.

"This is a seismic shift in the culture of how the NYPD polices this great city. It will be felt immediately in the communities that we protect," New York Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea said.

Unfortunately for New Yorkers, the impact of the reform was immediate — but it was not positive.

According to the New York Post, shootings in the city surged after the NYPD disbanded the plainclothes units. In fact, between Monday, the day Shea made his announcement, and Saturday, there had been 28 shooting incidents with 38 victims. The shootings accumulated at least five deaths.

By comparison, there had only been 12 shootings over the entire week during the same time period last year, the Post noted.

"This is what the politicians wanted — no bail, nobody in Rikers, cops not arresting anyone," a law enforcement official told the Post. "All those things equal people walking around on the street with guns, shooting each other."

As of June 20, there have been 97 shooting incidents in New York City, a significant increase from the 89 incidents during the entire month of June last year.

On Saturday alone, 19 New Yorkers were injured in more than a dozen shootings, the Washington Examiner reported.