Nov. 23--NYPD officers shot and killed the fewest number of people last year than at any time since records started being compiled in 1971, according to the department's annual review released Tuesday.
Police officials said that NYPD officers fired their weapons last year in 33 "adversarial conflicts," down from 47 incidents that were reported in 2009, the review says.
"The improvement is due to police training, restraint and our success in reducing crime overall," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a statement. He noted that two officers were wounded last year, one saved by a bulletproof vest.
However, while the number of hostile shooting incidents involving police decreased, cops fired more times, discharging their weapons 368 times last year against adversaries, compared with 297 in 2009, according to the shooting data.
"It is always a concern were more shots are being fired in New York City because you always worry about innocent people being hit," said Chris Dunn, an attorney with the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Since 1971, the number of people shot and killed or injured by police in the city has declined. Ninety-three people were killed by police in 1971, compared with eight last year. People injured by police gunfire numbered 221 in 1971, compared with 16 last year.
The shooting report, compiled after the department reviews all firearms discharges, contains myriad statistics. These include where and when shootings take place, the circumstances, such as whether officers fire intentionally or by accident, and whether subjects shot were involved in the use or threatened use of deadly force in any situation.
The department had reviewed the actions of 22 of 55 officers involved in shootings, issuing discipline such as retraining to a number and clearing 13 officers. Dunn referred to court documents showing that 21 cops faced discipline in 2007 for firearms discharges.
Among the statistics is a finding that cops shot at dogs 29 times -- often when the officers were attacked in apartments -- and one raccoon. Nineteen dogs were killed; the raccoon was unharmed, the report said.
"They constantly look at training and try to improve training based on some unfortunate incidents over the years," said Maki Haberfeld of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, referring to NYPD actions after shootings like the 2006 killing of Sean Bell in a 50-shot fusillade.
Haberfeld also thinks funds used for counterterrorism has helped with firearms training.
Copyright 2011 - Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
