New York Rape Statistics

I spent some time researching New York's crime statistics since 1965 and found out some pretty interesting things.  The number of rapes rose dramatically between 1971 and 1972.  In 1971 there were just 3,225 incidents of reported forcible rape where as in 1972 there were 4,199 reported incidents.  The scariest thing about this statistic is that while the number of reported rapes rose so dramatically, the overall number of crimes reported decreased by over 30,000 from 1971 to 1972.  This makes me think that perhaps the era of "free love" wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  I also wonder,how many cases went unreported just as Andrea's all did.  If the people who were in similar situations to Andrea's went forward with their stories, just how much higher would that number be? 

Interestingly enough, the webpage I am getting my numbers from also includes a little chart at the bottom that tells you where New York is ranked compared to other states in regards to various crime rates.  Interestingly enough, out of the 51 states (Plus Washington D.C.) New York has consistently held the fiftieth spot on the list.  That means that there is only one state in the entire country with a lower reported rape rate than the state of New York.  In all my years of growing up and watching Law and Order: Special Victim Unit I never would have guessed that New York had one of the lowest incidences of reported rape in the country.  It makes me wonder just how many rapes go on reported and if that statistic can actually be a true reflection on the safety of women in New York.

Source: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/nycrime.htm