New York City police announced that the summer of 2026 was the safest on record for shootings, shooting victims, and murders. Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the unprecedented decline in violent crime across the city.
Significant drops in major crime
In August, major crime fell 6.6% compared with the same month last year, and year‑to‑date figures show a 6.2% reduction, translating to more than 5,000 fewer reported offenses citywide. From June through August, the city recorded only 195 shooting incidents, 249 shooting victims, and 66 murders – all historic lows for the three‑month period.
Neighborhood trends
The Bronx led the way in crime reduction, with major crime down 11.9% year‑to‑date and 10.5% in August. Other categories such as robbery, burglary, grand larceny and auto theft also posted declines.
Public‑housing and subway safety
The NYPD reported zero murders, shootings, or rapes in the subway system during August, and public housing developments saw no murders and record‑low numbers for shootings, shooting victims, rapes, and robberies.
Areas of concern
Not every category improved. Felony assaults rose 3.1% in August and 0.7% year‑to‑date, while reported rapes increased 3.2% year‑to‑date. Confirmed hate crimes were up 15.8% compared with the same period last year, though anti‑Jewish hate crimes declined in August.
A full breakdown of the crime statistics is available on the NYPD CompStat website.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
