NEWBURGH -  In the first half of 2009, there were fewer murders – three this year compared to five this time last year - but robberies increased by 14 percent. For the first six months, total Part One, serious crimes, declined by four percent, according to statistics released by the Newburgh City Police Department on Thursday.

Crime peaked in May with violent crime and property crime reaching its highest levels for the year. Despite that, crime in Newburgh was at its lowest mid-year point since 2004.

Police Chief Eric Paolilli said deploying units to strategically hot spots is working well as are other initiatives at crime fighting.

“The trooper patrols – the blue-gray patrols — that we have been doing for the past three weeks have been very successful and we have seen a decrease in citizen generated calls during the times they are on the street, which indicates to me that they are doing exactly what they are sent out to do, and that is to cut down on that street chaos that we see, unfortunately, this time of year,” he said.

Officers are also targeting areas where residential burglaries and motor vehicle thefts are prevalent.

Paolilli said he is satisfied with the slight reduction in crime and is striving to lower it even further.