Community op-ed: Crime continues to go down in NYC

As we go into the second year of our administration, I am proud that we have made real progress on the issue that matters so deeply to all New Yorkers: public safety.

The numbers are in, and the news is good: Major crime in our city is down. From serious crimes like murder and shootings to quality-of-life issues like fare evasion, enforcement is up and crime rates are lower.  These decreases reflect the NYPD’s exceptional work to ensure the safety and security of all New Yorkers, and to combat crime and violence in every neighborhood.

Last month, we had a drop in major crimes compared to February of 2022 — when we had just recently begun our administration. Shootings and murders have continued their week-over-week and month-over-month decreases, and hate crimes were down by 69% compared to February of last year, while five of the other major categories also saw substantial decreases last month.

On the subway, major crimes were down by more than 9 percent last month compared to February 2022. This is the second month in a row that crime has gone down in our subway system.

Public transit is New York City’s lifeline and keeping that lifeline safe keeps it strong. The subway system has seen a reduction in crime since we started sending more officers into the system in October 2022. We’ve stepped up station inspections by the NYPD, and we are also cracking down on fare evasion. Those who jump the turnstiles are depriving our city of valuable transit dollars, which we rely on to keep the system moving. They are also creating an atmosphere of lawlessness and disorder, as some are doing so to avoid detection when committing a crime. Tackling fare evasion helps get us back on track.

Robberies are down in a majority of precincts, especially in Manhattan and the Bronx. Shootings are down and the NYPD has seized more than 1,200 illegal firearms so far this year. We are also focused on policing more strategically in public housing complexes, which has resulted in a 31 percent decrease in shootings in all NYCHA housing for the month of February 2023, compared with February 2022. And robberies in all NYCHA housing fell by 11.8 percent in the last month.

The NYPD is making more arrests, and arrests for the most serious offenses have risen in each of the city’s five boroughs for both the month of February and for the calendar year.

I want to thank our tireless men and women in uniform for making our city safer for all New Yorkers. As Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell has said, “The NYPD continues to improve our accomplishments in 2022, and I am proud of our members who continue to address crime wherever and whenever it occurs. We can never lose focus of our mission: fight crime, keep people safe, and work in partnership with the community.”

Being safe and feeling safe are critical to New Yorkers’ well-being and our economic recovery.

In another piece of good news: Recently released data from the State Labor Department shows that New York City has recovered more than 99 percent of the jobs lost during the pandemic. 99 percent — that means prosperity for our city and all New Yorkers.

Being able to walk in the streets, ride the subway, run your store, and go about your daily activities without worry — that’s what New Yorkers want. And that is why we have made public safety our top priority, and what I aim to deliver as your mayor.