If you look at the latest statistics published by the NYPD for the 52nd Precinct — which encompasses the entire Norwood News coverage area — overall crime is down by less than one-half of one percent.

But even that miniscule drop in crime is deceiving. The Five-Two was hit hard in 2010; by a barrage of murders, a significant rise in felony assaults (including shootings) and rapes, as well as a string of robberies that rocked area churches in late fall.

Authorities did make headway on two of the area’s most intractable problems — drug dealing and prostitution — but those crimes continue to impact the lives of residents in several neighborhoods.

In July, police and federal authorities broke up a well-organized, multi-million dollar drug-dealing operation that had swallowed up a stretch of Valentine Avenue, from 194th to 196th streets. The busts, which included 31 people, gave residents a sense of relief and freedom, but dealing has reportedly increased on 198th and 194th streets.

Throughout the year, Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the 52nd Precinct’s commanding officer, has focused attention on the prostitution problems near St. James Park. While the precinct’s efforts have pushed the prostitution away from the park, it settled just a block away on Davidson Avenue and 192nd Street, where there has been a strong transgender sex trade presence for the past decade. Residents disagree about whether the situation there is any worse or better than before.

Just blocks from the prostitution hotspot, near the northwest corner of St. James Park, the year’s most brazen and brutal murder took place in late August, on a warm Sunday afternoon. Jelani Ciria, a 20-year-old father, was on his way to see his daughter when he was stopped by at least six bullets that produced 17 holes in his body.

Despite the public nature of the killing, pleas from Ciria’s family and extra reward money provided by local elected officials, witnesses did not materialize and Ciria’s murder remains unsolved.

2010 Crime Statistics (through Dec. 12)

Murders
52nd Precinct: 11 (up 57.1%, from 7 in 2009)
Bronx: 123 (up 18.3%, from 104 in 2009)
Citywide: 508 (up 14.7%, from 443 in 2009)

Rapes
52nd Precinct: 26 (up 8.3%, from 24 in 2009)
Bronx: 277 (up 6.9%, from 259 in 2009)
Citywide: 1,328 (up 15.7%, from 1,148 in 2009)

Robberies
52nd Precinct: 479 (down 0.4%, from 481 in 2009)
Bronx: 4,369 (up 11.9%, from 3,903 in 2009)
Citywide: 18,421 (up 4.9%, from 17,563 in 2009)

Felony Assault
52nd Precinct: 436 (up 13.1%, from 385 in 2009)
Bronx: 4,224 (up 2.1%, from 4,136 in 2009)
Citywide: 16,134 (up 0.6%, from 16,040 in 2009)
—Source: NYPD website