Kensington Named As One Of Brooklyn’s Safest Neighborhoods In New Report
One of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city that is increasingly attracting families being priced out of neighborhoods like Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, Kensington is also one of the safest spots in Brooklyn, according to a a new study issued by real estate consumer group Brick Underground.
To conduct its report, the group decided to use statistics from the NYPD and focus on non-violent crime – car theft, burglary, and grand larceny – rather than murder, rape, assault, and robbery “because it’s much more common.” The numbers were pulled from NYPD from May 2013 to May 2014, as well as from the 2010 U.S. Census.
In Brooklyn, Kensington was listed as the sixth safest neighborhood in the borough, with 5.26 non-violent crimes being reported for every 1,000 residents. Borough Park landed in first place, with 4.87 non-violent crimes being reported per 1,000 people. Then came Bergen Beach, Midwood Park, Bath Beach, and South Williamsburg. Following Kensington were Mapleton, Bensonhurst, Sunset Park, and Windsor Terrace.
“We were surprised to see comparatively expensive areas like Fort Greene, Williamsburg, and Dumbo among Brooklyn’s highest-crime areas, but less so to see family-oriented Borough Park and Windsor Terrace at the opposite end of the spectrum,” Brick Underground said in its release.
As for the most dangerous neighborhoods in our borough?
Downtown Brooklyn (for which the mayor just launched a major investment package) was the worst, with 72.7 non-violent crimes being reported for every 1,000 people. Navy Hill came in at the second most dangerous, with 40.3 non-violent crimes for every 1,000 people. After those two were: Greenwood Heights, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, DUMBO, Mill Island, Prospect Park South, and East Williamsburg.
Kensington has long landed love from safety reports, and DNAInfo has listed it and Borough Park as the third safest communities in the entire city, with 66 major crimes per 10,000 residents as of 2010. According to the most recent Crime Stat report from the 66th Precinct, which covers Kensington, the seven major index crimes (murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto) were, on average, down 11.26 percent over last year.
Grand larceny auto reports have significantly dropped since last year, with 35 being reported this year and 74 last year -a 52.7 percent decrease. Felony assaults, too, have taken a serious dive, going from 84 at this time last year to the current 56 – representing a 33.3 percent drop.
Rapes, however, have risen from three this time last year to six now.
Historically, Kensington’s numbers have also dropped – this isn’t just a recent trend. The seven major index crimes have dropped by 80.32 percent since 1993, 19.88 percent since 2009, and 16.06 percent over the last two years.
This, of course, isn’t to say that neighbors don’t have to deal with crime – residents have reported thieves breaking into their homes, con artists scamming elderly neighbors, and more.
But, all in all, the fact that Kensington is an overall safe neighborhood with still-affordable rents is something we’ve known for a long time – and apparently knowledge that is spreading like a wildfire across the city.
Photos courtesy Department of Transportation and Hani M.
