A city councilman from Mount Hope says he hopes a new cafe in the neighborhood will lead to crime reduction.

The Madison Cafe, on the corner of Burnside and Crescent avenues, replaces a deli that Councilman Fernando Cabrera says was a drug hotspot and seller of synthetic marijuana like K-2.

Residents hope the new cafe will be the first step in reducing crime within the NYPD's 46th Precinct.

Police statistics show crimes are up in the area compared to last year. Murders have risen by 8.3 percent, rapes by 29.2 percent, robberies by 8.4 percent and felony assaults by 5.4 percent. Grand larceny is up 15 percent.

But in the immediate area, Cabrera says crime has actually decreased. He represents the city's 14th District, which takes up just a portion of the 46th Precinct.

Cabrera says the Devanney Triangle, however, remains a problem spot.