Morgenthau: Revenues Up 40%, Murder Rate Cut by Almost Half

Revenue collected by the Manhattan district attorney's office has increased by 40% in fiscal year 2007 versus 2006, and Manhattan's murder rate has been cut nearly in half this year, the district attorney, Robert Morgenthau, announced yesterday. The office in 2007 returned $43 million to the city and state from revenues collected through criminal fines, forfeitures, and back taxes, and it has received nearly all of the $105 million in imposed fines from the convictions of two former chief executives of the manufacturing and services company Tyco International. The money, $10,000 of which is outstanding, will be calculated into the 2008 fiscal year once the case goes through its final appeal early next year, the chief assistant district attorney for Manhattan, James Kindler, said.

The murder rate in Manhattan is down by 40% versus 2006, with 65 murders to date in 2007, a figure that represents 14% of the citywide murders, Mr. Morgenthau said. In the last three decades, the number of homicides in Manhattan has dropped to 65 from 648, he added.

"The tremendous decrease in homicides and other violent crimes has allowed my office to focus more attention and resources on financial crimes," Mr. Morgenthau said. "These prosecutions not only provide a deterrent for white-collar criminals, but also bring in substantial revenues for both New York City and New York State."

Mr. Kindler said the figures show that city and state funding for white-collar prosecutions, particularly in tax investigations, is money well spent. "The money invested pays for itself many times over," he said in an interview.

To date, there have been 464 homicides in New York City; if the figure does not surpass 500 by the end of the year, it would mark the fewest murders in any year since 1963, Mr. Morgenthau said.