Albany leaders say despite perception, crime rates are heading in the right direction.

Police Chief Eric Hawkins said the number of homicides was down 31 percent from the same period last year. The number of guns seized from the streets increased by 48%.

Hawkins said his staff is doing their job to keep the community safe by sending officers to hot spots.

One such hot spot is in Madison Park, where two people opened fire on each other.

He acknowledges that some people still have the perception that crime is on the rise.

“I think the way to solve this is by having forms like this, getting information out there, getting correct information, accurate information,” he said.

There were 11 homicides, compared to 16 last year at this time.

Other statistics include a 16% decrease in thefts, a 17% decrease in thefts and a 39% decrease in motor vehicle thefts.

The number of shooting victims increased from 54 to 62, and the number of shooting incidents increased from 44 to 51.

They are making progress in fighting crime despite being down 60 officers around, they said.

Find out what Mayor Kathy Hochul thinks about the statistics by watching the video.