Recidivism also remains a major challenge in transit. Of the 734 people arrested in transit this year for a major crime, 214 have been arrested three or more times in 2026 alone. I can assure New Yorkers that we will continue to bring the full weight of this department to bear on the people driving violence in our transit system. At the same time, other major crime categories in transit remain at historic lows. Robberies are tied for the lowest year-to-date level on record outside the pandemic years. In the third quarter, we saw the fewest robberies ever recorded in transit, including the pandemic years. Grand larcenies in transit are also at their lowest year-to-date level on record outside the pandemic years. Public housing continues to be one of the clearest examples of where our precision strategy is delivering real results. Major crime in our housing developments is down nearly 7 percent year to date, and the reductions in violence are historic. Murders, robberies, shooting incidents and shooting victims have all reached record-low year-to-date levels in public housing. Murders are down to 33 percent; robberies down nearly 19 percent; shootings down 36 percent; and shooting victims down nearly 39 percent. Burglaries are also down in housing, more than 15 percent year to date. Moving on to retail theft, which is down more than 12 percent year to date, with nearly 5,000 fewer incidents compared to last year and reductions in all five boroughs. That progress reflects the same precision approach that we have applied across the department, identifying the locations and repeat offenders driving these crimes, concentrating resources where and when they are needed most and building sustained investigations to hold them accountable. Hate crimes remain an area of serious concern, with confirmed incidents up 13 percent year to date. The most striking trend continues to be antisemitic hate crimes. So far this year, 53 percent of all confirmed hate crimes have targeted Jewish New Yorkers, despite Jews making up only roughly 10 percent of the city's population. Those numbers are deeply concerning. Our Hate Crimes Task Force continues to aggressively investigate these incidents while we deploy additional resources to protect Jewish communities. On the eve of the third anniversary of Oct. 7, we renew our pledge to Jewish institutions that they will not be left to protect themselves without a strong partner in the NYPD. This year, during the High Holy Days, we deployed an unprecedented number of officers to cover virtually every synagogue across the city. Taken together, all of these results that we've just outlined show what is possible when we follow the data, when we deploy with precision and when we give our cops the tools and the resources that are needed to succeed. We have driven shootings, shooting victims and murders to historic lows while reducing major crime across the city, and the work continues. We know where the challenges remain, and we will be adjusting our strategies, concentrating our resources and going after the people driving violence and disorder. The men and women of the NYPD have delivered extraordinary results through the first nine months of this year. We intend to build on that progress through the end of 2026. I will now turn it over to the architect of many of the strategies that I just outlined, our chief of Department, Chief LiPetri. Chief Michael J. LiPetri, Chief of Department, Police Department: Good afternoon. Mr. Mayor, Police Commissioner, and I especially want to thank all the bureau chiefs and deputy commissioners who work tirelessly every day to make New York safe. You know, the mayor talked about the summer and the challenges that, you know, we faced as a department, but I just want to put some things in perspective. Just a few years ago, from 3 p.m. on a Friday till 7 o'clock on a Monday, the weekend violence in New York City was unacceptable. We averaged approximately 25 shootings just in those three and a half days. This year, we have less than seven shootings on weekends, and I tie it to a number of things; but I can't say enough about the young men and women that are out there every single day in some of the tougher areas in New York City. When you look at Bronx South and you look at Brooklyn North; when we say Bronx South, you're talking about communities of Morrisania, Claremont, Highbridge, Hunts Point, down over 20 percent in shootings in Bronx South. When you're looking at Brooklyn North and you talk about the communities of East New York, Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, Crown Heights, also down over 20 percent in shootings. If I highlight the 42 Precinct, which covers Morrisania and Claremont, down 39 percent in shootings, up over 30 percent in gun arrests. If you look at Bedford-Stuyvesant, the 7-9 Precinct, down 53 percent in shootings, up 20 percent in gun arrests. That's what drives violence. And that's what we continue to go after: individuals carrying firearms. Back in 2022, when we took a hard look at what was going on in New York City, you're talking about two straight years of over 1,800 shooting victims — almost 1,900 shooting victims. And what we did was we took a block — literally — a block-to-block analysis across New York City, without looking at any precinct boundaries. We did that with very, very smart data scientists, programmers, crime analysts. We then built a program using cluster analysis for the next year in 2023. In 2022, when we started the violence reduction zones in the summer, though the city had 1,294 shootings, those zones were down almost 40 percent in shootings. So, we said, why not do it better? Made a program of cluster analysis in New York City. Why not continue to do it? That's when our retail theft holiday zone started. That's where our school zone started, ultimately our summer zones, and now we transition into the holiday zones. Almost 2,000 officers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday deployed into those areas. Most, if not all, working until 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. We had to make some tough decisions. We changed the zones, we changed our allotment, we changed our times. You graduate from the academy, unfortunately, you don't have weekends off. Because why? Because that's when, unfortunately, we take [on our] most violence. So again, I just really want to thank the officers out there every day, the investigators that continue to investigate crimes. You know, we always talk about the Knicks, what went on in the summer. Those officers were not at the Knicks parade. They were still in their zones, walking a footpost in East New York, walking a footpost in Claremont. The neighborhoods that see officers on every corner, every single day. And that's really what's behind the success, though we still have a lot of work to do. But I just want to say thank you to all the members of the service that are out there, both on the civilian side and the uniform side. Thank you. Question: Mayor, I know that the picture is looking pretty good — underground as well, coming out of the summer. But you’ve really yet to fully stand up your community safety program, which has a big subway focus. So, moving into the winter months, we know homeless individuals, individuals who suffer from mental health issues will go underground to stay warm. In the interim, even though you've expressed some skepticism about police overtime and police solving all the problems underground, would you be willing to commit more cops underground in the colder months if that proves necessary? Mayor Mamdani: I think what we've seen is that our police department is not only doing the job that many New Yorkers have the full faith in; it is also setting an example for what it looks like to be unrelenting. Because what you've heard from the commissioner, what you heard from the chief, and what we have heard from leaders across departments in prior announcements is the fact that these are not only figures that are oftentimes better than last year. Sometimes these are figures that are the best that the city has ever seen. And yet we also know that so long as there is a single murder, a single shooting, a single shooting victim in the city, that is one too many. And so, I have full trust and faith in our police commissioner and our police department to do what is necessary. And also, when it comes to the colder months, we are going to do everything that we can to ensure that vulnerable New Yorkers, homeless New Yorkers, are finding a place to rest their head that is a bed, a shelter. And we are doing everything we can to increase our shelter capacity to ensure that no New Yorker feels that they have to sleep outside or sleep anywhere that is not an actual bed to find that kind of safety. Question: It’s become not uncommon — from January, we see a surge. There's some sort of announcement with the governor and the mayor and the commissioner, and “we're giving overtime and there's more cops underground.” Is that an announcement you're willing to make if necessary? Mayor Mamdani: Look, I'll say whenever it comes to the safety of the people of our city, we will explore every single measure in front of us. And also, we want to address systemic issues at a systemic level. You've heard from the police commissioner of just how significant a number of the incidents on public transit are driven by individuals who have a previous, they have a previous engagement with the mental health system across our city. That means that there's an opportunity for us to do better when it comes to that kind of work. That's why we talk about a whole-of-government approach to all of this. Police Commissioner Tisch: I'll just add one thing about our overtime numbers in transit. We, for the past two years, we have been fortunate to be funded for an overtime program that allows for 5,000 additional hours a day in overtime that started last year, and that has been the case this year and will continue to be the case. That's not being cut. Question: This question’s for you, Mayor Mamdani. You brought up shelter capacity. I just wanted to ask about the Borden Avenue Veterans Shelter in Long Island City — [Crosstalk.] Question: I wanted to ask, did your office sign off on the decision to reject FDA funding? [Crosstalk.] Mayor Mamdani: Your question is about the Borden Avenue Veterans Shelter. Yes, just in specific relation to that veteran's shelter, the services are continuing as they were. The switch of funding, where it used to come from the federal government — now that is not, that has not impacted any of the services that we're delivering at that shelter. Question: For the commissioner or Chief LiPetri, do you see a nexus between the gang takedowns and the reduction of crime and arrests in Brooklyn South — Brooklyn North and South Bronx? Chief LiPetri: Yeah, so, you know, we always talk about precision. We always talk about, you know, looking at the data. A full analysis is done prior to starting a case, meaning is that crew, you know, very violent, either being on the victim's side or the perpetrator's side in shootings. And then that's where we focus. And when you look at the four or five gang crew takedowns that gun violence and some of the violent squads across New York City has done, and then you look at those residences of where they frequent or those areas where they frequent, we see sharp, sharp decreases in violence. So, it's an approach, you know, obviously, which is also focused on the zones across the city — 70 zones, 40 precincts — and we want our gang investigators to also focus in those zones. Question: And also, just a second question, will there be a time where [inaudible] — will there be a time when these lasting barriers are coming down? Chief LiPetri: I hope so, and I just — you know, again — never done before where we have experienced detectives taking petty larceny cases and making wanted flyers and making arrests. So again, it's an approach that has worked, and we're going to continue to drive retail theft down in New York City. Question: The results are historic, no question about it. You said a moment ago that you know where the challenges remain. And I'm wondering where are those challenges as you see them, and where in particular do you like to see them? Police Commissioner Tisch: Well, we can always do better. I outlined a few areas where we clearly have more work to do. I would love the transit numbers to be down this year. They're up slightly compared to last year. We know what's driving it. We know where it's being driven, and we are adjusting our strategies to focus on those felony assaults in transit. Also, felony assaults above ground are problematic for us. In particular, in the category of felony assaults, we have real challenges with recidivism. So, one of the things that we have to do is work with the other stakeholders in the criminal justice system to address those issues. Thank you. Question: [Inaudible.] Police Commissioner Tisch: There are lots of different entities that make up the criminal justice system. There are judges and DAs and lawmakers. And so, yeah, when you see recidivism numbers like that, we all have to put our heads together and figure out the best way forward. Question: Do you have a number of how many times these individuals — an average number — of how many times these individuals are getting arrested, and also what crimes? Is it assaults or is it other crimes they’re getting arrested for? Police Commissioner Tisch: So, I gave you the specific numbers in my remarks on recidivism. If we focus specifically on transit in the area of felony — oh no, transit, recidivism — 214 of the 734 people arrested in transit this year for a major crime have three or more arrests in 2026. Question: Is that also assaults or is that other crimes [inaudible]? Police Commissioner Tisch: The chief will give you more information about it, but the numbers that I just gave you were for all arrests for all major crime in transit. Chief LiPetri: I'll talk about felony assaults and recidivism. So, when you look at felony assaults and that individual [gets] arrested, we have over 300 individuals that have been arrested three or more times this year. If you go back just to 2019, it's over a 200 percent increase. So, obviously, recidivism is something that the police commissioner spoke about. It is something that we are dealing with, and we're always working very close with our prosecutors.

Torry Holland, 52, of Memphis, has been sentenced to over 26 years in federal prison for his role in the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Memphis, Tennessee.  D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

During this multi-agency investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, controlled purchases of narcotics, physical surveillance, and the execution of search warrants on several Memphis properties related to Holland and a co-conspirator yielded multiple firearms, felony amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine, and more than half a dozen pill press machines utilized to produce fentanyl pills that appeared as brand name medications.

Prior to his federal indictment in June 2024, Holland was convicted of multiple felonies involving the distribution of narcotics and is classified as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.

Following his guilty plea to two counts of possession with intent to distribute narcotics and one count involving the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Holland on September 24, 2026, to a total term of 322 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

U.S. Attorney Dunavant said, "Production and distribution of fentanyl-laced pills present an immediate and grave danger of lethality, and pill presses are instruments of death. This disturbing case demonstrates the lengths to which drug dealers will go to profit from addiction and suffering, and this significant sentence demonstrates our resolve to punish and deter such brazen criminal conduct that has no regard for human life.”

"Career offenders like Mr. Holland deserve the lengthy prison sentences handed down through our justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Field Division.  “Mr. Holland has been in and out prison and failed to be rehabilitated for his previous crimes; instead choosing a path that led him right back into federal incarceration.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Additionally, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), West Tennessee Drug Task Force - 30th Judicial District, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Bartlett Police Department, Germantown Police Department, and the Collierville Police Department all assisted in this long-term investigation.