Shootings have nearly doubled across the five boroughs this year compared to last year, reaching a level that has not been seen in years, according to the New York City Police Department's November crime statistics.

According to the NYPD, shootings rose nearly 96% through the first 11 months of 2020 compared to the same period last year. In November alone, there was a 112% increase in citywide shootings compared to 2019.

Homicides have also risen in November, continuing the upward trajectory for the year overall. Twenty-eight people were murdered across the five boroughs in November— five more than were killed last November, according to NYPD’s crime statistics. 

Despite the spike in street violence, crime levels overall have remained relatively flat across the seven major felony categories, such as robbery and grand larceny. These crimes have gone up a combined 0.06% from 8,120 in 2019 to 8,170 in 2020.

“What we’ve seen over the last months from the end of the summer to now is a steady increase in the thing we need the most, which is gun arrests, and more and more success by the NYPD in getting guns off the street,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio on his weekly WNYC appearance on Friday.

Gun arrests for November increased by 112.3%, adding to the city’s increase in gun arrests this year compared to last year.

But as the city announced the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine this month, the mayor expressed his confidence in the NYPD’s ability to handle these numbers.

“We know 2021 will by definition be better than 2020 in every way for all of society, including our ability to fight crime, because everything came unglued when there weren't jobs, there weren't schools, there weren't houses of worship—everything became unglued,” he said. “And we know that led to a much tougher situation for the NYPD to handle.”

He said the city will be doubling down on neighborhood policing and continue with its goal of reducing incarceration overall. But it will take some time for the court system to catch up.

“In the short term, there will be a problem because the court system, it's not their fault, but it’s never been able to sustain themselves over the last 10 months,” he said. “And you can't move the criminal justice system and move people through trial and determine their outcome without a court system functioning, which is a huge X-factor in this discussion.”

But as the vaccine becomes more widely distributed among New Yorkers next year, the mayor said the city expects to see the court system “come back to life fully over time,” reducing the number of people waiting for cases to be tried in court.