Broome Has Worst Crime Rate in New York

Broome County has more property crime than any other area of New York State.

According to newly released statistics from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, Broome's property crime rate came in at 31.4 per 1,000 residents.

There had been a 10% increase in crimes like larcenies, burglaries and vehicle thefts in the county since 2010.  Part of that increase, according to authorities, can be traced back to 2011 after the flood as there were numerous reports of copper pipes and other metal being stolen from damaged properties.

Most communities in the state outside of New York City had noted about a 2% drop in property crimes.

Recently, City of Binghamton Police cautioned residents to lock their homes, windows and vehicles as there had been several reports of burglaries and larcenies from cars, especially on the Southside.

City Police Chief Joseph Zikuski says many of those thefts from unlocked vehicles involved only a few dollars in change and it's believed the culprits were teenagers.

Law enforcement officials in the county also said there had been an increase in drug complaints with many of those cases involving heroin.

Everyone is encouraged to report suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement agencies.