Record-Breaking Low Crime in March Sets New Quarterly Low
The NYPD announced today that in March 2019 the city experienced the lowest number of reported index crimes of any March in the CompStat era, an achievement that propelled the city to the lowest first quarter index crime results on record and a new all-time low for any quarter in the modern era. Crime in New York in March 2019 was down in all of the seven major categories, when compared to 2018. Rapes increased by +9.5% in the first quarter of 2019, but are down -3.8% for the month of March.
"The day in day out hard work of the men and women of the NYPD across every community continues to drive crime down citywide," said Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill. "Through Neighborhood Policing, and our strengthened partnerships with the public, community leaders and other city agencies, we will continue to build trust and find solutions to address crime and violence."
"Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their home. While crime is at a historic low across the city, we are working to make this a reality in every zip code," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We are doubling down on our efforts to bring these communities and police together to find new ways to fight crime and make our City safer and fairer."
Key highlights from this March crime statistics include:
- A -6.2% reduction in index crime in March 2019 (6,798), compared to March 2018 (7,248). March 2019 is the lowest March in the CompStat era.
- Transit crime down -5.5% in March 2019 (173) compared to March 2018 (183).
- Housing crime down -0.8% in March 2019 (388) compared to March 2018 (391).
- Murders fell -27.3%, rapes fell -3.8%, robberies fell -6.7%, felony assaults fell -0.4%, burglaries fell -17.5%, grand larcenies fell -4.4%, and grand larceny auto fell -18.8% in March 2019 compared to March 2018.
At the outset of March 2019, the NYPD implemented a five-point plan designed to take aim at precincts experiencing pockets of increased violence. This plan is addressing the uptick by: increasing personnel in four targeted precincts (34, 43, 79, 113 Precincts), strengthening gun prosecutions, expanding programs focusing on gang violence and potential recidivism, and focusing on domestic violence investigations. A month later, there have been double-digit reductions in overall crime in each of the selected precincts. While violence has not been fully stamped out, the 43 Precinct experienced both zero murders and zero shooting incidents, while the 113 Precinct recorded zero murders. The NYPD will continue to analyze and address obstinate pockets of violence through a combination of the previously mentioned resources.
Additionally, in January, Commissioner O'Neill announced the next iteration of Neighborhood Policing — a plan to focus on six precincts citywide where violent crime outpaced the rest of the city. These precincts include: the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx, the 41st Precinct in Hunts Point, the 42nd Precinct in Tremont, the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville, the 75th Precinct in East New York, and the 25th Precinct in East Harlem. Commissioner O'Neill and the executive NYPD team are holding targeted community meetings in each of these six precincts to identify strategies and resources that will be newly deployed to bring crime down in these communities to levels consistent with the rest of New York City.
Statistics on Index Crimes 2018-2019
| Mar. 2019 | Mar. 2018 | Change | +/-% | Year-to-Date 2019 | Year-to- Date 2018 | Change | +/-% | |
| Murder | 16 | 22 | -6 | -27.30% | 69 | 60 | 9 | 15.00% |
| Rape | 154 | 160 | -6 | -3.80% | 438 | 400 | 38 | 9.50% |
| Robbery | 872 | 935 | -63 | -6.70% | 2690 | 3023 | -333 | -11.00% |
| Felony Assault | 1589 | 1595 | -6 | -0.40% | 4319 | 4508 | -189 | -4.20% |
| Burglary | 713 | 864 | -151 | -17.50% | 2355 | 2724 | -369 | -13.50% |
| Grand Larceny | 3138 | 3283 | -145 | -4.40% | 9252 | 9827 | -575 | -5.90% |
| G.L.A. | 316 | 389 | -73 | -18.80% | 971 | 1137 | -166 | -14.60% |
| TOTAL | 6798 | 7248 | -450 | -6.20% | 20094 | 21679 | -1585 | -7.30% |
Additional Statistics on Crimes 2018-2019
| Mar. 2019 | Mar. 2018 | Change | +/-% | Year-to-Date 2019 | Year-to-Date 2018 | Change | +/-% | |
| Transit | 173 | 183 | -10 | -5.50% | 559 | 562 | -3 | -0.50% |
| Housing | 388 | 391 | -3 | -0.8 | 1100 | 1120 | -20 | -1.80% |
| Shooting Incidents | 56 | 46 | 10 | 21 | 150 | 141 | 9 | 6.40% |
March Rape Breakdowns
| CompStat Year | Count | Occurred Same Year | Occurred Previous Year | Occurred 2 Years Prior | Occurred 3 Years Prior | Occurred 4 Years Prior | Occurred 5+ Years Prior |
| 2019 | 154 | 114 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 2018 | 160 | 110 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
| 2017 | 111 | 85 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2016 | 101 | 83 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | 109 | 89 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 2014 | 101 | 78 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
Note: All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revisions, or change.
