New York Governor Hochu, Mayor Mamdani, and Police Commissioner Tischer held a joint press conference on January 6th to announce the security statistics for New York City in 2025. They emphasized that various indicators of gun violence, murder, and subway crimes in the city have reached historic lows, attributing these achievements to the effective implementation of their “precision law enforcement” strategy. The three elected officials acknowledged that youth violence remains a prominent security challenge, while denying any changes to the security policies.
According to police data, there were a total of 688 shooting incidents in New York City in 2025, the lowest on record, a 24% decrease from 2024, and even lower than the record set in 2018. The number of shooting victims was 856, also hitting a historic low and decreasing by 247 compared to 2024. The police highlighted that in December 2025, only 35 shooting incidents occurred, marking the lowest for a single month.
Tischer stated that the decline in shootings and shooting victims was seen across all five boroughs, emphasizing that the total number of shootings in New York City last year was significantly lower than in smaller cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia, thus challenging the common perception of deteriorating security in the city. She described these results as “not just minor improvements, but historic outcomes.”
Overall violent crimes also saw a simultaneous decline. In 2025, the city witnessed a 20% decrease in murder cases, with 77 fewer fatalities, and nearly a 10% drop in robbery cases, amounting to a reduction of about 1,600 incidents. Regarding the subway system, the police claimed that 2025 was the safest year since 2009 (excluding the pandemic period), with a 4% decrease in major crimes. Subway robberies hit a historic low, and subway shooting incidents decreased by over 60% compared to the previous year.
In terms of crimes affecting daily life, retail theft decreased by 14%. The police stated that their enforcement strategy has shifted from immediate responses to long-term investigations, concentrating resources on high-risk locations and timeframes, which significantly improved case resolution and arrest rates.
During the question-and-answer session with reporters, there was a focus on whether the new administration would adjust the security strategies of the previous government. Tischer responded by stating that the current deployment strategies targeting violent crimes and subway security have proven effective, and there are currently no plans for major changes. She added that the police conducted 70 gang suppression operations last year, leading to the arrest of 390 members, and continued to use gang data and crime prediction analysis to prevent retaliatory violence.
Mamdani mentioned that while the city government would maintain law enforcement achievements, they would enhance mental health, social services, and the newly established community safety division to alleviate the burden on police in non-violent incidents, allowing law enforcement to focus on serious crimes. Addressing concerns raised during the press conference about whether the police were reverting to a “quality of life” enforcement approach, Mamdani clarified that the measures were in response to the doubling of 311 reports in recent years to improve the efficiency of city government responses, rather than expanding criminal enforcement for minor violations.
Hochu focused on state-level resources and legal support. She stated that the state government has invested billions of dollars to assist local law enforcement in acquiring technological equipment, enhancing subway patrols, and promoting stricter bail, evidence collection, and red flag law reforms. She announced that the state government would unveil new measures targeting 3D printed “ghost guns” and legislative proposals to enhance the security of religious institutions.
Despite officials emphasizing the overall decline in crime, Tischer also cautioned that there was no apparent improvement in youth violence. She pointed out that in 2025, the percentage of shooting victims under 18 years old rose to 14%, while the perpetrators accounted for 18%, marking near-record highs in recent years. The police have established “safe zones” on school campuses, with preliminary data showing a significant decrease in crimes and shootings within these areas. She also mentioned the increase in severe injuries in domestic violence cases, leading to the establishment of a dedicated unit within the police force, aiming to see the effects of institutional adjustments in 2026.