On Wednesday, Forbes magazine calculated Mayor Bloomberg’s personal fortune at $25 billion, with a 28% increase from last year. On Thursday, Census data calculated New York City's poverty rate at nearly 21%, higher than at any point in the last decade. Out of touch much?

On his weekly radio show this morning, Mayor Bloomberg defended the findings of the annual Mayor's Management Report. The Mayor declined to say whether he was happy or unhappy with the report, but concluded: "We are cleaner, safer. We're living longer. The school system is better."

The MMR found crime increased in the five boroughs in the 12-month period ending in June. Almost 4,000 more major felony crimes took place, but murders and rapes decreased. Cell phone theft rose dramatically, and today the NYPD launched a free program for New Yorkers to register their devices with police.

Do you agree with Mayor Bloomberg's view that "services and operations have consistently improved over the last 10 years?" Why do you think major felony crimes rose dramatically the last fiscal year? Do you welcome an effort to make it easier for police to track stolen phones?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

In my opinion crime stats have gone up because reporting has gone up. It seems as though some things are better and some are worse. Place me with the mixed reviews people.

Rosalie from Canarsie.

Major Felony Crimes have increased because of lack of employment. Employed people don't usually steal, live on the street and have to beg for food Mr. Mayor. Supposedly the richest City in American......for whom?

Valerie
Midland Beach - Staten Island

I guess matters as it relates crime could be worse given the long recession and the resultant high poverty it has created particularly in communities of color, where crime seems to be an everyday occurrence.

Felix
Bay Ridge

Hi John,

He keeps tooting his own horn over and over again. He is a complete failure in anything and everything he gets involved in. I certainly don't believe any of these polls that turn up always being in his favor. WHY DOESN'T HE SHOW HIS FACE TO US BY COMING ON WITH JOHN AND DISCUSS ALL OF THESE GRIEVANCES HE SEEMS TO ALWAYS HAVE WITH US WHEN HE DOESN'T GET THE ANSWER HE WANTS. AGAIN I SAY HE IS JUST LOOKING TO LEAVE A LEGACY AND HE HAS NONE. TALK ABOUT OUT OF TOUCH. GIVE US A BREAK.

maxxiee
mp

Crime is up because jails are country clubs for the bad guys. Make jail hard. Sentences stiff. Eliminate bail and parole.

Jimmy from the bronx

I agree with Mr. DeBlasio the mayor continues to down play the rise in crime. It is so obvious that crime is up. How can the mayor say this has been the safest summer when we have had so many park shootings this summer. Crime has gone up because of the economy it's called survival of the fittest.

Tanya BK

Oh pleeeease Mayor Bloomberg, where do your get your numbers from?? fantasy land? I live in the heart of Bay Ridge, one of the nicest, safest neighborhoods in Brooklyn and we now have an epidemic of home robberies, you go to work and when you get come back you find out your house or apt have been robbed, I barely ride the subways, so I dont know how things are " down below"

Carmen.
Bay Ridge

Hi John,

Unfortunately, the city is rapidly spiraling down....anyone who feels safer has no clue what crimes are occurring every hour, every day. Now is the time to get out of town...I expect the bottom to fall out any minute any day now.

Kate
(retired NYPD)

Even in stable communities crime has risen dramatically. Forest Hills is now in the midst of installing police cameras due to rampant holdups and burglaries.

Steve
Forest Hills

3 types of people think all is fine. Billionaires, nuts, and billionaire mayors who are nuts.

MZ
Richmond Hill Queens

Funny story:

my husband saw two gentleman taking a roof rack off of a car in front of our park slope home and chased them away. they dropped the roof rack. then he called the police, they came 30 minutes later. they got a description of the men and then my husband said "what should i do with the roof rack?" the police responded "leave it on the sidewalk...it's park slope, no one will take it."

Excuse me, officer, but do you remember why we called you? Maybe the issue is simply that COMMON SENSE among NYPD officers is lacking.

erin in park slope

You have to be kidding me. NY crime has far gone up considerably due to general economic issues but also quality of life. People are feeling desperate. There is a lack of economic opportunity, an overwhelming volume of useless city ordinances. They're more concerned about what small sections of Manhattan for TV then they are about helping real New Yorkers maintain a reasonable quality of life. This administration (Bloomberg) is more ego then anything else, and they need their ego deflated with the pin that is the voice of the people.

Walter

Crime is up and it's only going to get worse due mainly to the bad economy. We also need not only more but competent qualified Police officers.

Jordan
Whitestone

Mayor Bloomberg is delusional to believe that this city is safe!! Crime is up because of unemployment, minimum wage jobs!! People with Degree’s cannot seem to get a job and are over qualified for the jobs that are offered!! I don’t know why he is even still in office his money bought his vote and New Yorkers want him gone!!! He can fight Soda companies but not CRIME!! He is a JOKE!!!

Lucy from the Bronx

John,

Crime is up because more and more human actions are being defined as criminal. In this sense, it is government that creates crime. Take one tiny example, it will soon be a crime for a vendor to serve a 32oz soda.

The question to ask is: have any rights been violated by the action? If no rights are violated, the action cannot be a crime which is defined as an action that violates individual rights.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

The data that the mayor is spoon feeding us is meaningless. Sure there is gonna be crime and hardship, but where is there none. Show me a city where there are no problems. My point is we have to live our lives regardless. If we live in fear, then the criminals win!

Mike from Morningside

The reason why crime is up its because you have many programs cuts. There's a lot of Homeless Mentally Disturb People walking around and attacking People with blades and etc. It's not just about the lost of Jobs its other public issues. These People don't take their Medications and the law protects them

L.C.

Once phone is stolen it just be reported and deactivated the inside should b not b able to work ever again destroy the hard drive or whatever so it can't b reset or activated should b the law - id theft would come down too.

Anonymous

I also ment to mention to you that the crime is also up do to lack of resources within the Bronx ,Manhattan and Brooklyn Communities . They say its Jobs available but we are living the proof. There are not Jobs for everyone and I have a Master's Degree as well ,I worked hard for my Degree and I refuse to take a job clean up. I did not go to school to better my education to clean up shit or to make up beds all day ,that's just un acceptable over here. We should be able to work in the areas in our fileds with out 4years of experiences. How do they expect you to have experience if they don't allow you to gain experience.

L.C.