New Report Highlights City’s Good, Bad, and Ugly Trends

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The New York Sun

Crime is down in the city, but construction accidents and syphilis are on the rise, according to the 2008 Mayor’s Management Report, released yesterday.

The annual report tracks each city agency’s performance through 1,219 indicators, providing the public with a broad snapshot of city government each fiscal year. This year’s report includes about 200 new indicators, such as the average time to fill a pothole or the number of children eligible for adoption who find homes.

According to the report, a series of major accidents, including two crane collapses, has boosted the number of injuries and fatalities at construction sites this year. The number of construction-related fatalities increased to 25 this year from 15 in 2007, and the number of construction-related injuries rose to 167 from 116.

With taxes on tobacco being increased this year, the report shows 16.9% of New Yorkers smoke today versus 17.5% last year. The decline was most concentrated on Staten Island, where the smoking rate fell to 20.4% from 27.2% last year, the first time it dropped there since 2002.

The number of AIDS and HIV deaths in the city dropped to 1,108 from 1,209 in 2007, while for the second straight year instances of syphilis increased. There were 965 reported cases of syphilis last year versus 805 in 2007 and 587 in 2006.

Major felony crime is down 3% this year, its 17th consecutive drop, the report said. Murders decreased by 7%, to 516, so far in 2008 versus 557 in the 2007 period. Major felony crime on the subway also decreased significantly, with 8% fewer incidents in 2008 than in 2007.

According to the report, the city’s streets were also cleaner than they have been in 34 years, with 95.7% of city streets rated as acceptably clean in 2008 versus 94.3% in 2007.


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