New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton says a slight uptick in crime last month is not because of a drop in the department’s use of the stop, question and frisk technique.

For the month of May, shootings and homicides were up. That’s prompted media reports and political hand-wringing that some of the practices embraced by Mayor Bill de Blasio were emboldening criminals.

Bratton said Monday that is not the case.

He cites 2011, when stops were at an all-time high of 685,000 but crime rose.

Last year, when there were about 48,000 stops, overall crime was down and homicides reached an all-time low.

Bratton says stop and frisk is not a significant factor in the city’s crime rate. He says he wants officers to make appropriate, lawful stops.

(AP)