Violent crime over summer months dropped in NYC, bucking historical trend, NYPD says

New York City is enjoying its safest summer in more than 30 years when it comes to violent crime, with shootings and killings dropping to lows not recorded since at least 1994, when the NYPD’s modern recordkeeping began, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday.

In her latest monthly crime update, Tisch said the 195 shootings recorded between June 1 and Aug. 31 were 32 fewer than the same period a year ago, while the 66 murders were 12 fewer than the previous record low, recorded in 2017. Total shooting victims during the three-month period totaled 249, significantly fewer than 2018's previous record low of 293, Tisch noted.

Overall, major crimes such as murder, burglary, felony assault, robbery and auto theft in August alone dropped 6.6%, a trend that has contributed to the first eight months of the year seeing some of the lowest crime figures during the period since 1994, when the CompStat recordkeeping system was in full swing.

"The NYPD delivered both the safest summer and first eight months of the year for shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders in recorded history," Tisch said in a statement, "These historic lows all happened while managing an unprecedented series of high-profile events, including the NBA Finals, the World Cup, Sail 250 and the largest Fourth of July celebration in the nation."

But the NYPD data also acknowledged some troubling trends, notably an increase of 3.1% in August in felony assaults, a pattern that included assaults on police and other public servants. There was also a similar percentage increase for the year in rapes.

Also of concern is the continuing increase of hate crimes against Jews, which so far this year have comprised nearly 54% of all such confirmed attacks in the city, according to NYPD statistics. So far this year, there have been 229 confirmed hate crimes against Jews out of a total of 425 citywide.

Tisch noted that major crime in the subway system dropped 8.4% in August, with no homicides.

Former NYPD Det. Sgt. Joseph Giacalone, who teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the latest statistics are a marked change from previous years of high summer crime.

"Summer were always bad months," recalled Giacalone.

"It is great news," said Giacalone. "They are still getting guns off the street, and I think that has a lot to do with it."

Tisch noted in her report that the NYPD violence reduction plan for the summer, which kicked in May 4 and deployed officers to locations at times when violence was likely to occur, has been a major contributor to crime declines. Since the initiative, serious crime has dropped 23.2%, said Tisch.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.