NYC Murders Fell Below 300

Violent crime in New York City began falling in 1991, after the city recorded a peak of 2,245 murders in 1990. By 2005, New York had the lowest crime rate among the ten largest US cities, and the overall decline continued into the next decade. In 2017, the city recorded 292 homicides, its first annual total below 300 since 1951. Analysts have variously attributed the broader decline to policing changes, the end of the crack epidemic, nationwide incarceration, gentrification, an aging population, and reduced childhood lead exposure.

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