Violent crime in NYC hits historic low, marking "safest summer," police say

The NYPD announced record-low crime this summer, touting officers' efforts to keep New York City safe. 

There were 195 shooting incidents, 249 shooting victims and 66 murders from June through August, according to new data. That is the fewest in each category in recorded history.

Major crime fell 6.6% citywide in August, with The Bronx leading the city in the decline. 

There were also zero shootings, murders or rapes during August in the city's subway system. Robberies in transit fell to their lowest level on record for August, with 27 incidents compared to the previous record of 35 in 2016.

Department officials said this is part of an eight-month stretch of record-low murders and shootings. 

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch released a statement commending the department.

"The NYPD delivered both the safest summer and first eight months of the year for shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders in recorded history," she wrote. "These historic lows all happened while managing an unprecedented series of high-profile events, including the NBA Finals, the World Cup, Sail 250, and the largest Fourth of July celebration in the nation."  

The only major crime category with an increase was felony assault.

Rapes decreased in August but have increased since 2025. Police said this was driven largely by a law change that expanded the legal definition of rape, resulting in 26% of reported rapes happening before 2026. 

Hate crimes have also increased by 15.8% compared to 2025. In August, there were 45 confirmed hate crimes and 62 incidents reported as hate crimes.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes have accounted for more than half of the confirmed hate crimes for the first eight months of the year. Meanwhile, Jewish New Yorkers make up only 10% of the city's population, according to NYPD data.

Confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes decreased by 13.6% in August, compared to the same time in 2025.