City Crime Drops Dramatically but Mixed Bag Across Manhattan

Batman would be proud as major crimes have continued to decline in Gotham this year. But there were some unsettling trends in Manhattan, where murders were surging by 20 percent in the southern portion of the borough while hate crime incidents in the northern half surged nearly 48 percent.

Since the start of the year to date, the NYPD reported a 6.2% citywide decrease in all crime incidents (44,955 reported cases) for the first five months and almost 3,000 crimes less than this time last year.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced on June 3 that across the five boroughs, murders were down 20.9% and shootings were down 5.7% for the first five months compared to a year earlier ,which are new record lows. While major crime saw record decreases, the NYPD reported marginal rises in domestic violence and hate crime incidents this year, with increases of 2.9% and 8.6% respectively.

The NYPD’s database ‘CompStat,’ which is publicly available, currently breaks up Manhattan in half; Manhattan Patrol Borough North (MPBN) encompasses precincts 19-34 while Manhattan Patrol Borough South (MPBS) encompasses precincts 1-18. In line with the citywide statistic, the MPBN has seen a 68.8% decrease in murders this year, triple the city wide’s decrease. However, the Manhattan North shooting incidents increased this year, up 12.9% from the same five month period in 2025. Felony assault cases increased by 5.6% this year in MPBN, while confirmed hate crimes increased significantly higher than the city wide average this year, with an increase of 46.7% compared to the citywide 8.6% spike.

In Manhattan Patrol Borough South, there was a 20% increase in murder incidents this year, directly contrasting the 20.9% decrease for the citywide average. And where shooting incidents and victims reached record lows overall, Manhattan South’s own statistics showed an 80% increase in incidents and 60% increase in victims for shootings. Also in this subsection of the borough, confirmed hate crimes instead decreased by 3.8%.

For the Manhattan borough overall, it seems that the North section similarly reflects citywide trends in crime this year, while the South’s statistics reflect the opposite. According to a NYPD spokesperson, major crime in Manhattan as a whole is down 7.8% this year, with 952 fewer crimes than last year. Additionally, murder specifically throughout the borough decreased by 47.6% this year.

Here’s the breakdown across the city: for murders, NYPD reported the lowest level ever recorded for the start of the year with 102 offenses, down 20.9% from last year’s 129 cases. This number surpassed the previous records of 2014 and 2017, in which both years reported 113 murders in the first five months.

The NYPD has strived to deploy a ‘precision policing approach’ to combat gun violence, to seeming success. To this date, NYPD reported shooting incidents are down 5.7% this year, with 247 total incidents, from last year’s 262. The NYPD reported 289 total victims, down 7.1% from the previous record of 309 in 2019. From 20 gang-related takedowns this year, the NYPD also confiscated almost 2,000 guns.

Theft, robbery, and burglary saw similar decreases in NYPD’s report, with retail theft in particular decreasing 15% (3,851 cases) in May.

Commissioner Tisch praised the records broken by the NYPD this year, emphasizing the importance of safety within the city.

“Across our city, the NYPD is delivering on its mission to keep New Yorkers safe,” Tisch said in a press release. “With record lows in murders, shooting incidents, and shooting victims, as well as the safest start to the year in public housing, and continued reductions in subway crime, New Yorkers across every corner of our city are benefitting from a police department that 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.”

Despite decreases in murder and theft, assault cases minimally increased this year. In May, the NYPD reported 2,734 cases of felony assaults, a 0.4% increase, and listed domestic incidents, assaults on police officers, and assaults on other government workers in relation to the increase. Additionally, the NYPD reported an increase of 2.9% in domestic violence arrests this year, aided by the newly created Domestic Violence Unit within the Detective Bureau.

Hate crime in the city also saw increases in the number of confirmed cases. This year to date, confirmed hate crimes overall increased by 8.6%, with 265 incidents this year compared to 244 in 2025. Out of these incidents, the NYPD reported a 900% increase in hate crimes pertaining to religion this May compared to May 2026 (a 70.8% increase relating to anti-Jewish motivations and 66.7% increase relating to anti-Muslim motivations). This May also saw a 400% increase in hate crimes regarding sexual orientations, with 5 confirmed incidents in May 2026 compared to 1 in May 2025.

While Commissioner Tisch did not refer to the rises in assault and hate crimes in her press statement, she said NYPD will aim to continue its record-low crime statistics as the year progresses.

“In the month of May, crime plunged by 10.6% citywide,” Tisch wrote. “As we enter the summer and prepare for an unprecedented number of large-scale events, the men and women of the NYPD will continue to put in the hard work necessary to keep New York City safe.”