NYPD Announces May 2024 Citywide Crime Statistic

New York: According to the NYPD report, overall index crime across New York City dropped another 2.4 percent in May 2024, compared to the same month last year, with the major crime categories of murder, burglary, grand theft, and grand larceny—auto each seeing dramatic reductions. Other significant categories, including robbery and felony assault, experienced increases in May, primarily fueled by offenders fleeing crime scenes on illegal, unregistered motorized scooters, bikes, or other vehicles. Crime in New York City’s transit system continued its remarkable downward trend, dropping another 10.6 percent in May. Now well below pre-pandemic levels, crime in the nation’s most extensive subway system has seen double-digit reductions in the past four consecutive months of this year.

Across the five boroughs in May, 261 fewer crimes were committed than last year. The most significant reduction was in the category of murder, which saw another 21.1 percent drop (30 vs. 38). Murders have also been reduced by 17.1 percent year to date, with 29 fewer people killed in 2024 compared to 2023 (141 vs. 170). While shooting incidents increased 4.7 percent in May (89 vs. 85), resulting in nine additional victims (108 vs. 99, a 9.1 percent jump), there were 47 fewer shooting incidents from January 1 through May 31 (331 vs. 378, a 12.4 percent decrease), which equated to 56 fewer shooting victims year to date (391 vs. 447), a 12.5 percent reduction. Police took 571 firearms off New York City streets in May, adding to the nearly 2,750 illegal guns seized so far this year through May 31. The NYPD has removed more than 16,400 illicit firearms from circulation since the start of 2022. The category of robbery increased 4.7 percent in May (1,432 vs. 1,368), along with felony assault by 7.4 percent (2,621 vs. 2,441). Citywide in May, 123 fewer vehicles were stolen, a 9.1 percent drop (1,231 vs. 1,354); 88 fewer burglaries were committed, a 7.5 percent decrease (1,091 vs. 1,179); and 299 fewer grand thefts were reported, a 6.9 percent reduction (4,037 vs. 4,336). Twenty-one fewer crimes (178 vs. 199) were committed in the subway system in May, along with two fewer crimes (534 vs. 536) in the city’s public housing complexes, a nearly half-percent decrease.

The total number of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force in May increased by 30 incidents (86 vs. 56), a 54 percent increase over the same month last year. Anti-Jewish offenses, which jumped 150 percent (55 vs. 22) from May 2023, led the overall rise. May also saw an 83 percent (2 vs. 12) decrease in anti-Asian crimes.

Successes in reducing overall crime and violence are attributable to ongoing efforts citywide, including NYPD-led initiatives at the city’s bridges, tunnels, and roadways targeting “ghost vehicles” — unregistered, uninsured cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Since its inception in March of this year, the multi-agency task force has conducted 17 operations that resulted in 218 arrests made, 7,722 summons issued, and 997 vehicles seized that owed more than $7.7 million in unpaid tolls, fees, and outstanding judgments.

The NYPD has also begun a summer enforcement strategy aimed at removing illegal motorized scooters, ATVs, and other bikes from city streets following an increase in shootings, robberies, and grand larcenies involving such vehicles. In 2023, the NYPD confiscated 18,430 illegal and unregistered motorized scooters and bikes — the highest number in city history and a 128 percent increase from 2022. So far in 2024, the NYPD has seized more than 13,000 illegal two-wheeled vehicles and ATVs, bringing the total to nearly 42,000 since the start of 2022 — the most significant number of unlawful motorized scooters removed during any 30 months in city history.

“The men and women of the NYPD continue to turn the tide on overall crime in neighborhoods throughout New York City, as well as below ground in our vast subway system, by remaining nimble and strategically deploying our resources,” said Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “We vow to stay in front of crime trends by directly addressing community concerns, disrupting emerging patterns, and dismantling criminal networks where they operate. New Yorkers expect and deserve nothing less.