NEW YORK CITY, October 7, 2026, The New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced on Tuesday (October 6) the third-quarter crime data: so far this year, the number of shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murder cases in the city have all dropped to the lowest levels on record for the same period, with major crimes also continuing to decline. However, there has been a rise in major crimes and hate crimes in the subways.
NYPD Commissioner Tisch stated that in the first 9 months of this year, there were 489 shooting incidents citywide, a decrease of 11.6% compared to the same period last year; 594 shooting victims, a decrease of 14.4%; and 203 murder cases, a decrease of 19.8%. Compared to 5 years ago, there were 846 fewer shooting victims during the same period this year.
The drop in the third quarter was even more significant: shooting incidents decreased by 22.7% to 167 cases, shooting victims decreased by 28.3% to 213 people, and murder cases decreased by 19.8% to 73 cases, all reaching historic lows for the third quarter.
Tisch attributed the decrease in crime to NYPD’s “precision policing” strategy, which includes targeting illegal firearms and gangs, as well as deploying resources based on crime data. So far this year, NYPD has confiscated 4,100 guns from the streets, including 257 untraceable “ghost guns” without serial numbers.
In the first 9 months of the year, there were a total of 86,023 major crimes in the city, a 6.6% decrease compared to the same period last year – the largest decline in 17 years, with all five boroughs seeing decreases. Robberies, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts all decreased by over 10%. However, violent felonies showed a slight increase of 0.2%; 320 people have been arrested for violent felonies 3 times or more, more than double compared to the same period in 2018.
On the other hand, the security situation in the subway system paints a different picture. There were 1,628 major crimes in the subway in the first 9 months, a 0.9% increase from the same period last year, with a 3% increase in the third quarter alone. Among the 734 individuals arrested for major subway crimes, 394 had been previously arrested at least 3 times, accounting for 53.6%.
Hate crimes have also seen an upward trend. In the first 9 months, NYPD confirmed 463 hate crimes, a 12.9% increase compared to the same period last year; among these, there were 245 anti-Semitic hate crimes, accounting for 52.9% of the total; cases targeting Asians increased from 13 to 16, a rise of 23.1%; and cases targeting Muslims increased from 18 to 32.
Mayor Mamdani remarked that despite the significant decrease in major crimes, “even one crime is one too many.” He expressed concern about the continuing rise in hate crimes, stating that there are still worrisome areas that need attention, particularly in the escalating hate crimes.