Fewest Murders Ever Recorded for Any Month in City History, Down 60% from Last January
Data-Driven Strategy Drove Retail Theft Down by 16%, Over 50% Decline in Crime in School Safety Zones
Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced that the NYPD delivered the safest January ever for gun violence, with the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded history. The city saw 40 shooting incidents and 47 shooting victims, compared to the previous all-time lows of 50 and 56, set in 2025 and 2019, respectively. Murders declined to their lowest level for January, shattering the previous record of 22 set in 2018 and 2022. Manhattan and Staten Island went the entire month without a single murder.
Retail theft fell 16% in January as a result of the department’s data-driven strategy, while School Safety Zones reduced overall crime by more than 50%.
These results drove an overall decline in major crime and continued the historic reductions achieved in 2025.
“For the first month of the year, the women and men of the NYPD delivered the fewest shooting incidents, victims, and murders in recorded history,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “These results show that this department remains focused on building on the historic public safety gains made last year. Our strategy is simple: don’t just get tough on crime, get smart. And deploy the best police officers in the nation to get it done and make New York safer.”
The NYPD continues to combat violent crime and shootings through its Winter Violence Reduction Plan, which deploys up to 1,800 uniformed officers to nightly foot posts across 64 zones in 33 precincts, public housing, and the subway system. Since its inception in January, major crime is down 36.3%.
Citywide, overall major crime was down 6.7% (8,338 vs. 8,940) and across several categories.
Shooting incidents declined in January by 20% (40 vs. 50) and shooting victims declined by 30.9% (47 vs. 68).
Murders plummeted by a staggering 60% (12 vs. 30), marking the fewest for January in recorded city history. Murder declined in every single borough.
Burglary fell 27.8% (854 vs. 1,183), marking the fewest burglaries ever for any January in recorded history.
Robbery declined 9.9% (993 vs. 1,102).
Auto theft fell 4% (867 vs. 903).
Grand larceny declined 2.3% (3,376 vs. 3,454).
Felony assault decreased 2% (2,069 vs. 2,111).
In addition to declines in major crime, retail theft fell 16% (3,844 vs. 4,596), despite typically rising during the winter months. The decline reflects the department’s focused approach: identifying the patterns driving these crimes, concentrating resources at high-propensity locations during peak hours, and shifting from pass-through enforcement to sustained investigation.
To protect and keep young people safe, the NYPD implemented School Safety Zones at the start of the school year, modeled after its Violence Reduction Zones. These zones concentrate on the areas where young people are most at risk – commuter corridors, bus stops, and the routes to and from school. Since their inception in September 2025, overall crime is down 56.1% (90 vs. 205), shooting incidents are down 76.9% (3 vs. 13), and shooting victims are down 80% (3 vs. 15).
Crime in New York City’s public housing decreased 12.9% (398 vs. 457). Since January 15, there has not been a single recorded shooting incident in housing developments across all five boroughs.
Below ground, transit crime increased slightly for the month of January by only 10 crimes, or 6.1% (174 vs. 164). These numbers followed a historic year of record lows in transit crime set in 2025. Outside of the COVID years, only three past Januarys were safer than January 2026.
Rape incidents increased by 6.4% in January compared to last year (167 vs. 157). The rise in reported incidents since September 2024 is partly attributed to legislative changes which rightfully broadened the legal definition of rape in New York State to now include additional forms of sexual assault. Domestic-violence-related rapes continue to contribute the rise in rape incidents, accounting for roughly half of all reported cases in January. To address this rising issue, the NYPD launched the Domestic Violence Unit, the largest of its kind in the nation, with 450 fully dedicated investigators focused on these cases, strengthening relationships with survivors, and receiving enhanced training. The NYPD continues to encourage survivors of sexual assault to come forward and report these incidents.
The number of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force increased by 152% (58 vs. 23). Specifically, anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 182% (31 vs. 11), which accounted for more than half of all the hate crime incidents in January.
*All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revision, or change. *
Index Crime Statistics: January 2026
| January 2026 | January 2025 | +/- | % Change |
Murder | 12 | 30 | -18 | -60.0% |
Rape | 167 | 157 | 10 | 6.5% |
Robbery | 993 | 1,102 | -109 | -9.9% |
Felony Assault | 2,069 | 2,111 | -42 | -2.0% |
Burglary | 854 | 1,183 | -329 | -27.8% |
Grand Larceny | 3,376 | 3,454 | -78 | -2.3% |
Grand Larceny Auto | 867 | 903 | -36 | -4.0% |
TOTAL | 8,338 | 8,940 | -602 | -6.7% |
| January 2026 | January 2025 |
+/- | % Change |
Transit | 174 | 164 | 10 | 6.1% |
Housing | 398 | 457 | -59 | -12.9% |
Shooting Incidents | 40 | 50 | -10 | -20% |
Hate Crime Statistics: January 2026
(Representing January 1 – January 31 for calendar years 2025 and 2024)
| Motivation | 2026 | 2025 | +/- | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | 1 | 0 | -1 | ***** |
Asian | 5 | 1 | 4 | 400% |
Black | 2 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
Gender | 2 | 0 | 2 | ***** |
Hispanic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Jewish | 31 | 11 | 20 | 182% |
Muslim | 7 | 0 | 7 | ***** |
Religion | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50% |
Sexual Orientation | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0% |
White | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
Grand Total | 58 | 23 | 35 | 152% |
No comments:
Post a Comment