Murders and shootings hit record lows in NYC for first 5 months of year, police say
New York City is seeing historic lows in major crime with the fewest murders and shootings recorded for the first five months of the year, according to new data from the NYPD.
The statistics released Wednesday morning show murders were down more than 20% since 2025. That beats the previous record of 113 set in 2014 and 2017.
Shootings dropped more than 5%, surpassing the previous record of 262 from 2025. Shooting victims declined by just over 7% since last year, beating the previous low of 209 set in 2019.
Police said there were no shooting incidents or victims in the subway system in May. Major crime in the transit system was down 6.5% in May and 1.1% since 2025.
The NYPD also recorded its safest start to the year in public housing with the fewest murders, shootings, shooting victims and robberies.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement that the department is "focused and strategic."
"These accomplishments are the result of a precision policing approach that follows the data, goes after guns, takes down gangs, and puts our officers where and when they are needed most," she said in a statement.
Major crime decreases citywide
Major crime was down across the city by 6.2% since last year. It also declined by 10.6% for the month of May.
Burglaries declined by 19% in May, the second-lowest in recorded history. Robbery declined by 18.1% in May and was down 11% since 2025. Auto theft declined 13% in May and 9.6% since 2025. Grand larceny declined 12.4% in May and 4.6% since 2025.
Did any types of crime increase?
Confirmed hate crimes are up by 74.4% compared to the previous May. More than half of all confirmed hate crimes for the month were anti-Jewish, despite Jewish New Yorkers only making up 10% of the city's population, according to NYPD data.
Hate crimes have also increased by 8.6% since 2025.
Felony assault increased by 0.4% in May. Police said there has been an increase in this type of crime over the past several years.
Officers point to domestic incidents, assaults on police and assaults on other government workers as the main drivers of the increase.
Rapes have increased since 2025. Officers noted 20% of the cases resulted from a law change that expanded the legal definition of rape, and 32% happened before 2026. However, May saw a decrease in reported rape incidents compared to the same month last year.
Bronx sees greatest reductions
The Bronx is leading the city with the largest year-to-date decrease in major crime.
This comes as the NYPD continues focusing on the borough. The Bronx was recently split into two separate patrol boroughs called Bronx North and Bronx South.
The goal is to improve accountability and response times across the borough, which has historically been one of the city's most challenging areas for law enforcement.
