Jennifer Bisram is an award-winning reporter and anchor who joined CBS News New York in 2022. She covers aging and caregiving, as well as crime and community stories.
The New York City Police Department is reporting historic lows in murders and shootings across the city this year, but rape reports are on the rise.
CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram looked into what's driving these numbers and what's being done to help the influx of survivors coming forward.
According to the NYPD, reported rape crimes in the five boroughs are up 22% - 893 so far this year compared to 730 at the same time last year.
"When you look at the rising rape numbers, it's because of the sweeping changes that went into effect to the rape laws," NYPD Special Victims Unit Director Kathleen Baer said.
In 2024, the "Rape is Rape" bill was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, expanding the definition of rape to include all forms of non-consensual sexual contact.
But CBS News New York learned even without the changes, there's still a 1-3% increase of reported rapes in the city.
"One is absolutely too many ... We don't control the survivors, when they're ready to come forward to report," Baer said
Baer said another reason for the increased reports is NYPD outreach.
"We're out in the communities we serve. We're doing outreach. We're in schools. We're in hospitals. We're in community centers," she said.
Baer says detectives have been taking reports at the city's five Family Justice Centers, too, where survivors go seeking legal and social services.
"Those advocates can also accompany the survivor at each part of the investigation," she said.
Survivors are also connected to counselors and advocates from Safe Horizon, a victim service organization that has been providing support to survivors for 40 years.
"Sometimes police precincts might be a little intimidating ... They can share with us freely," said Victoria Maiello, with Safe Horizon's crime victim assistance program. "When someone's sex assaulted, their power is essentially taken away from them."
In the Bronx back in 2018, a walk home from work to decompress dissolved into a nightmare for Pritvi Sammy when a predator sprang from the shadows.
"His masculine hand was over my mouth and my nose at the same time, and then he took the other hand that was free and he had the blade on my neck," Sammy said. "My heart was beating out of my chest. My mind was racing. My legs kind of turned like a jelly."
Sammy said she was so terrified she couldn't even scream.
"He's about to drop his pants, and I’m shaking at this point," she said. "I said, 'Please, let me say my last prayer.' And at this point, I dropped to my knees."
Sammy said by some miracle, her attacker ran and she escaped being raped. She reported it right away, and police say surveillance video helped lead them to her attacker within 48 hours.
"After that attack, I could never see the Bronx the same way again," Sammy said.
She moved out of New York City but is bravely sharing her story to encourage others to come forward if they were ever sexually violated.
"I'm at a place where I've come to peace with that, and I want to use my voice now to help others," she said.
Sadly, advocates say there are still many victims too afraid to come forward.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you can call Safe Horizon's anonymous and free hotline at 1-800-621-4673 (HOPE).