New York, Oct 4 (IANS): Shooting incidents in New York City increased by 127 per cent in September, while murders spiked by 79 per cent, according to new crime statistics issued by the New York Police Department (NYPD).

According to the statistics released on Saturday, the police reported 152 shooting incidents citywide in September 2020, compared to the 67 shootings that occurred 12 months earlier, the AM New York Metro newspaper reported.

That surge accounted for a 91 per cent increase in shootings citywide between January 1 and September 30 of this year.

In terms of murders, there were 51 reported last month, up from just 29 homicides recorded in September 2019, the NYPD statistics revealed.

NYPD officers also made 607 gun arrests in September 2020, the highest monthly total recorded since the department launched its CompStat crime tracking program in 1994.

"Despite the unparalleled challenges they face every day, our officers continue to engage with the community and zero in on the drivers of crime," the AM New York Metro newspaper quoted Police Commissioner Dermot Shea as saying in a statement on Saturday.

"I thank the men and women of the NYPD who work relentlessly, day-in and day-out, to keep New Yorkers in every neighbourhood safe. We will continue to address crime upticks and work in close partnership with the residents we are sworn to serve."

Meanwhile, the overall crime for September 2020 jumped by 2.4 per cent, with a total of 8,952 major crimes (murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, grand larceny, auto thefts) reported.

Burglaries spiked by 37.6 per cent (1,255 incidents) and auto thefts ballooned by 75 per cent (977 total incidents.

Meanwhile, robbery, assault and grand larceny each fell by 11.2 per cent, 6.3 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively.

Hate crimes in the city also had dropped by 33 per cent year to date and rapes were down 19.2 per cent, the NYPD reported.