New York City may have a record low murder rate this year, if current trends hold.
NYPD statistics showed 179 homicides through August of this year, 22.5 percent fewer than the 231 this time last year.
Based on the current rate, there could be as few as 268 murders by New Year’s Eve. Last year, there were 335 murders in the city, just two shy of the record-low 333 in 2014, according to New York magazine.
Shootings are also down about the same percentage, with just 517 this year compared to 652 last year, through August. Officials project that the city may end up with about 800 shootings by year’s end, down from 998 last year, the Daily News reported.
Major crimes also saw declines, down 6.2 percent over last year so far. Police credited the anti-gang efforts that have targeted street crews and repeat offenders for the lower number of shootings. The NYPD is also using precision policing techniques rather than stop and frisk in minority neighborhoods, reporting that newer techniques are more effective.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice professor Eugene O’Donnell, a former police officer, said economic growth may be fueling the drop in crime rather than any police action, the New York Daily News reported.
“I think that it’s just a cascading series of positive events that have gone lightning fast,” he said, the Daily News reported. “The city is very vibrant and very alive. ... This is just why they shouldn’t get too ahead of themselves.”
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.