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APRIL 9 - 15, 2026
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Officials: City crime hits record lows New York City officials touted historic declines in crime during the first quarter of 2026 while acknowledging the pain of recent high-profile tragedies that continue to underscore the stakes of public safety. Speaking at an April 2 briefing at City Hall, Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened with a solemn note, referencing the fatal shooting of a 7-month-old in Williamsburg. “I want to first take a moment to mourn the devastating shooting,” he said, adding, “Every single child in this city deserves to grow Jessica Tisch up free from the Police commissioner threat of gun violence.” The mayor also invoked the killing of NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller, calling his loss “unfathomable,” as he pivoted to what he described as encouraging data showing a safer city overall. Diller was shot and killed during a Far Rockaway car stop in 2024. According to city figures, New York recorded 54 murders in the first three months of 2026 — the lowest total ever for a first quarter and down from the previous record of 60 set in 2018. That marks a 28 percent decline compared to the same period last year. Officials said the reductions were seen across the boroughs. Murders dropped more than 57 percent in Brooklyn and more than 44 percent in Manhattan. Staten Island recorded no murders so far this year and has gone 178 days without a homicide, the secondlongest streak on record. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the declines reflect a sustained, data-driven strategy. “These results are not happening by chance,” she said. “They are driven by a precision policing strategy.” Citywide, police reported 139 shooting incidents in the first quarter, matching last year’s record low. There were 163 shooting victims, also equal to the same period in 2025.
T
hese results are not happening by chance.
Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
NYPD Chief of Department Michael LiPetri, left, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch discussed the latest city crime statistics on April 2. Overall major crime fell 5 percent across the five boroughs, led by a more than 9 percent drop in the Bronx. Manhattan saw a 7 percent decrease, while Staten Island declined 5 percent. Queens and Brooklyn also posted smaller reductions. Officials attributed the improvements to targeted deployments in violence reduction zones and the removal of illegal firearms. Since Jan. 1, officers have seized more than 1,000 guns, Mamdani said. In public housing developments, crime dropped 7.2 percent year-to-date. Murders, shootings, shooting victims and robberies all reached record lows in those areas, based on the data. Simultaneously some categories showed increases. Reported hate crimes rose 11.7 percent, driven largely by a 140 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents, while antisemitic crimes accounted for more than half of all cases. Tisch also addressed the verdict in the case tied to Diller’s killing, saying
the outcome “landed like a gut punch” for the department, though the defendant was convicted on other charges. She confirmed that a 21-year-old man, identified as the shooter in the Williamsburg incident, will face murder and attempted murder charges. “Moments like this deepen our resolve to do everything that we can to stop this from happening again,” Tisch said. Other crime categories continued downward trends. Robberies fell nearly 8 percent, burglaries dropped 21 percent — reaching the second-lowest level on record — and residential burglaries declined nearly 20 percent. Re t a i l t h e f t , a f t e r a recent surge, declined 20 percent in the first quarter after targeted enforcement strategies. Auto theft and grand larceny both fell by nearly 4 percent. Transit crime is down about 1 percent compared to last year, which officials said was already the
safest year for the subway system since 2009 outside of the pandemic period. NYPD Chief of Department Michael LiPetri highlighted the impact of youth safety zones and coordinated enforcement efforts. “In the winter zones, we have over 100 gun arrests,” he said, noting that officers from multiple units contributed, including newer recruits. LiPetri added that improvements were also seen in domestic violence response, with a 25-year high in cases where arrests were made or offenders identified within three days. — Jeffrey Bessen