NYC Mayor says crime in 5 boroughs trending down despite overall increase from last year

Jan. 5—CITY HALL — Crime remains up from the record-lows of the past decade, but Mayor Eric Adams and top NYPD officials said Thursday that things are headed in the right direction.

Index crimes — grouped as murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto — were up 22.4% in 2022, but in December that number dropped 11.6% compared to the same month the year prior.

The final few months of the year reflected that December drop, albeit to a lesser extent. In 2022, the last quarter saw about a 1..5% decrease in index crime compared to 2021.

"Jan. 1, 2022, crime was on a trend increasing upwards. We're leaving 2022 where crime is trending downward," the mayor said. "We are not spiking the ball. We know that we have more to do. New Yorkers must be safe based on the stats and New Yorkers must feel safe based on what they're seeing."

While index crime was up overall, some of the most violent incidents — murders and shootings — saw a drop compared to 2021, according to NYPD numbers.

Compared to 2021, murders dropped 11.3% to their lowest levels since 2019, and shootings dropped 17.3% in 2021 with double-digit drops in each of the five boroughs, according to the NYPD brass led by Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

"From day one of our administration, the New York City Police Department focused on reducing gun violence by treating it as the crisis it clearly is," she said. "This work was reflected in the year-over-year declines we saw in the hundreds of fewer shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders in 2022 — and our neighborhoods are safer because of it. As we turn the calendar over, the NYPD is confident about the future of our department, our city, and all the people we serve. Our team is in place, and we are stepping forward to meet and overcome any challenges we may face in 2023 and beyond."

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