Playing games with statistics

The following two articles, on the same subject, both appeared in the New York Daily News. There is a blatantly different spin for the two articles. I suspect that Tupper Thomas, the administrator for Prospect Park, must have friends at the news or a really good Public Relations department. Perhaps the author, Donald Bertrand is on the park payroll. Also, keep in mind that NY1 published an article in August that said crime in city parks was up!

Here is the first article:

Central Park tops in major crime: report
By Donald Bertrand
Daily News Staff Writer
Thursday, December 27th 2007, 4:00 AM

Central Park recorded the most major crimes over the summer, while the Bronx came in fourth among the city's major parks.

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens ranked second, while Brooklyn's Prospect Park came in third, followed by the Bronx's Van Cortlandt Park.

According to the Police Department's park crime report for the first three quarters of 2007 ending Sept. 30, Central Park had 90 reported crimes, followed by Flushing Meadows with a total of 43 crimes.

Next on the list was Prospect Park, which had only 27 crimes.

The city Parks Department refused yesterday to release the crime numbers for Van Cortlandt Park.

For the period of July 1 to Sept. 30, police recorded a total of 21 complaints in the 1,255-acre Queens park, while Prospect Park had a total of nine complaints. Bronx Park, running along the Bronx River Parkway through Allerton, led in complaints from Bronx parks with seven for those three months.

"I think that these statistics show that even without that one string of robberies [last year], Flushing Meadows Park has a much higher rate than any other park other than Central Park and therefore deserves a dedicated police presence," said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria).

"The NYPD is stretched to the limits, but we need to ensure that our officers are where they can do the most good," added Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee.

"Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is a valuable asset to Queens, but our residents must feel safe in order to use it," the councilman said.

Vallone and other elected officials have long called for a stronger police presence in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, whether it is a new precinct, a mobile command center or added patrols.

The NYPD has said the crime statistics from the park were an aberration caused by one set of thugs during a crime spree last fall and winter.

The figures from the second and third quarters of this year show that there is a continued need for officers to stop more crimes from occurring.

"People go to the park for peace and solitude, and that is both their greatest advantage and greatest danger," Vallone said.

dbertrand@nydailynews.com

Now, look how easily the editor of the Daily News can change the implied meaning of the statistics:

Prospect Park crime among city's lowest
By Donald Bertrand
Daily News Staff Writer
Thursday, December 27th 2007, 4:00 AM

Latest crime statistics for city parks show that Prospect Park is among the safest major parks in the city.

According to NYPD statistics, for the first three quarters of 2007 ending Sept. 30 - the latest statistics available - 27 crimes were reported in Prospect Park.

That figure was eclipsed by the totals for Central Park in Manhattan, which had 90 crimes, and Queens' Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where police recorded 43 crimes.

For the period of July 1 to Sept. 30, the largest number of crime complaints reported for a major Brooklyn park was a total of nine complaints at the 585-acre Prospect Park.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park led Queens parks with 21 complaints; the only other major park in Queens to register any complaints was Forest Park, with two robberies during that period.

Bronx Park led complaints in the Bronx, with seven for those three months.

The report spurred at least one Queens politician to call for a beef-up of security in his borough's largest park.

"I think that these statistics show that even without that one string of robberies [last year], Flushing Meadows Park has a much higher rate than any other park other than Central Park and therefore deserves a dedicated police presence," said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria).

"The NYPD is stretched to the limits, but we need to ensure that our officers are where they can do the most good," said Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee.

"Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is a valuable asset to Queens, but our residents must feel safe in order to use it," the councilman added.

Vallone and other elected officials have long called for a stronger police presence in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, whether it is a new precinct, a mobile command center or added patrols.

"People go to the park for peace and solitude, and that is both their greatest advantage and greatest danger," Vallone said.

dbertrand@nydailynews.com