Safer Streets: Governor Hochul Announces Continued Declines in Crime Across New York

7 Percent Decrease in Index Crime and 48 Percent Decrease in Murder in GIVE Communities

6.6 Percent Decrease in Major Crime Across New York City

New York City Experiences Safest Summer on Record for Shootings and Murders

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on continued reductions in crime and gun violence across the state, highlighting historic declines in shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders, as well as significant reductions in index and violent crime so far in 2026. The 28 police departments participating in the state's Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative reported a 7 percent index crime decline and 48 percent drop in murders during the first five months of 2026, the lowest of any year since 2017. Meanwhile, New York City experienced its safest summer on record so far for shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders, including 6.6 percent reduction in major crime.

“Public safety has been my top priority since taking office, and we continue to deliver measurable results with record low crime across New York,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “We’ve invested nearly $4 billion in public safety and are seeing historic lows in shootings, murders and major crime because of these investments and the dedicated law enforcement officers who show up every day to keep their communities safe. We’ll continue making these strategic investments and fighting for the safety of every family across our state.”

Between January and May 2026, 28 police departments participating in GIVE reported the fewest index crimes and violent crimes, including murders and robberies, during the first five months of any year since 2017. There were 29,654 index crimes, a 7 percent decrease from 31,752 during the same period last year, and 4,617 violent crimes, a 1 percent decrease from 4,644. Murder declined 48 percent, with 41 reported, while robbery declined 17 percent, with 830 reported. Property crime also declined 8 percent, with reductions in motor vehicle theft, burglary and larceny.

Eleven GIVE police departments reported double-digit percentage decreases in index crime: Elmira, Greece, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Spring Valley, Suffolk County and Utica. Nine GIVE departments - Elmira, Greece, Hempstead, Ithaca, Kingston, Lackawanna, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Watertown - also reported double-digit percentage decreases in violent crime.

Administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, GIVE funds personnel, overtime, technology, and equipment, and DCJS provides focused training and technical assistance, so participating agencies can address shootings, shooting deaths and firearm-related violent crimes.

New York City also continued to experience historic reductions in gun violence during summer 2026, marking an eight-month stretch of record low shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders. From June 1 through August 31, there were 195 shooting incidents, 249 shooting victims and 66 murders: each the fewest recorded during that period in New York City Police Department (NYPD) history. The 195 shooting incidents were 32 fewer than the previous record low of 227 set in 2025, while the 249 shooting victims were 44 fewer than the previous record low of 293 set in 2018. The 66 murders were 12 fewer than the previous record low of 78 set in 2017.

Major crime in New York City also declined 6.6 percent in August, with 10,276 offenses reported compared to 11,000 in August 2025. Year to date, the Bronx led the city in major-crime reductions, with an 11.9 percent decline. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Bronx led in major crime reduction because Bronx crime figures were way to high to start with. The Bronx still has more crime than the borough of Queens, with Queens county having almost one million more residents than the  Bronx. 2,349,330 for Queens County and 1,406,612 for Bronx County. 

Bronx South 8,925 total major crimes

Bronx North 9,369 total major crimes 

Bronx total major crimes 18,294

Queens south 7,385 total major crimes

Queens North 9,849 total major crimes

Queens total major crimes 17,234

Queens has 942,718 more people

The Bronx has 1,060 more major crimes.

There are 17 police precincts in Queens

There are 12 police precincts in the Bronx.

Governor Hochul, the Bronx needs more police precincts to bring crime figures down to where the crime figures should be when compared to other boroughs.

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S OFFICE OF FAITH AND NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE $1.2 MILLION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

 

Two Nonprofit Organizations Will Get Resources to Provide Technical Assistance to Support Capacity Building in Nonprofit Organizations Throughout the State

Grant is Divided between One Upstate and One Downstate Nonprofit and Will Help Serve Thousands of New Yorkers

Secretary Mosley said: “The winners of this $1.2 million grant will be able to strengthen the operational effectiveness of their organizations to improve resources so that they may continue to offer access to programs and services in the neighborhoods they serve.”

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley today announced the winners of the $1.2 million grant to provide statewide Technical Assistance (TA) to strengthen the nonprofit sector’s organizational capacity, sustainability, and access to opportunities. Two nonprofit organizations – one from Upstate, one from Downstate – will receive grants to provide free technical assistance to nonprofits across New York State that will support their operational effectiveness to carry their vital work in their communities.

“Nonprofit organizations are the eyes and hears in the communities they serve and partner with the Department of State to offer the resources necessary to improve the lives of thousands of New Yorkers,” said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. “The winners of these $1.2 million grants will be able to strengthen the operational effectiveness of many nonprofit organizations so that they may continue to offer access to programs and services in the neighborhoods they serve.”       

The grant winners are:

Region A: Downstate

• CABS Health Network: $660,000. This nonprofit will operate as the lead coalition partner in providing technical assistance for nonprofits in the downstate region. They will assist with grant resource development, financial infrastructure and organizational compliance.

Region B: Upstate

• New York Council of Nonprofits: $540,000. This nonprofit organization is a leading voice for the nonprofit sector in policy and advocacy, representing organizations that serve every New York Community. With more than 119,000 nonprofit organizations statewide, the nonprofit sector employs over 1.3 million New Yorkers. As a trusted partner, NYCON provides nonprofits with the tools, training, and support they need to thrive.

This grant will be administered by the New York Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services. This new state grant seeks to build organizational capacity, improve nonprofits’ ability to maximize funding opportunities, expand programmatic impact, and promote their ability to meet and exceed applicable compliance standards. Providing this technical assistance will assist nonprofits to apply for resources at a faster pace, perform the associated administrative requirements that come with additional resources, and unify efforts to be ready to provide services.

Caura Richardson, Director of the Office of Faith and Nonprofit Development Services said, “Today, we are turning commitment into capacity. This $1.2 million investment in two trusted organizations will provide critical technical assistance to help faith-based and nonprofit organizations strengthen their operations, expand their impact, and better serve communities across New York State. We are not simply providing funding—we are investing in the infrastructure, expertise, and sustainability that allow organizations on the front lines to thrive. When we strengthen the organizations that strengthen our communities, all of New York wins.”

CABS Executive Director Sheryl Demosthenes-Atkinson said, “We are honored that New York State Governor has entrusted CABS Health Network to lead this initiative. With our partners, we will help hundreds of nonprofits and faith-based organizations across the region build the financial, compliance, and grant capacity they need to compete for government funding and better serve their communities.”

New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) CEO Megan Allen said, “We look forward to partnering with New York State on this new project to support nonprofits across the state. Strengthening nonprofits — including in fiscal, compliance and grants areas — is more critical than ever as organizations deal with an increasing number of challenges, and we are excited to provide NYCON expertise to help.”

This funding will help these two organizations develop and implement programs to provide free technical assistance to hundreds of nonprofits across New York State to build organizational capacity, improve nonprofits' ability to maximize funding opportunities, expand programmatic impact, and enhance their administrative capacity, which in turn will improve the quality of life of many New Yorkers.

Permits Filed for 2429 Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a ten-story mixed-use building at 2429 Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, The Bronx. Located between East 184th Street and East Fordham Road, the lot is near the Fordham Road subway station, served by the B and D trains. Steven Westreich of Westorchard Management is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 95-foot-tall development will yield 274,988 square feet, with 269,382 square feet designated for residential space and 5,606 square feet for community facility space. The building will have 56 residences with a total 377 residences on the lot, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 714 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and a 20-foot-long rear yard.

Leandro Nils Dickson Architects is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Mamdani Administration Celebrates Transfer of Three Crown Heights Buildings Away from Negligent Owners

HPD and MOPT will work with tenants and new owner to improve conditions at 88 rent-stabilized homes

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani celebrated the transfer of three long-neglected, rent-stabilized apartment buildings in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, putting 88 homes on a path toward greater stability, investment and improved conditions.

The buildings, previously owned by Rubin Dukler, who routinely ranked among New York City’s worst landlords, were sold Wednesday to Mark Schwartz. Following the sale, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will work with tenants and the new owner to ensure the buildings receive the repairs and maintenance they have been denied for years.

“The tenants of the Dukler Tenant Union have suffered from neglect and disinvestment for years. Today, a new chapter begins for these buildings. We will work alongside tenants and the new owner to put these 88 homes on a path toward stability and make clear that every New Yorker deserves a safe, well-maintained and stable place to call home,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“Every New Yorker has the right to a safe and stable home. This sale can mark the beginning of a new chapter for the tenants who call these three buildings home and help make that vision a reality. We will continue to support them as they fight for the repairs that they have long deserved – one small piece of our work to improve housing quality across the five boroughs,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“These tenants have suffered long enough living under the Duklers, who routinely neglected and underinvested in their buildings. Thanks to HPD’s AEP enforcement, alongside organizing by UHAB and the tenants, this has finally come to an end. Congratulations to the tenants on the transfer of their buildings away from these predatory owners,” said HPD Commissioner Dina Levy.

“Fighting for tenants means fighting for safe, high-quality housing. We are proud to stand with the members of the Dukler Tenant Union – and with tenants across the city – as they organize for the repairs and investment that every New Yorker deserves,” said Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

The three buildings – 1018 Eastern Parkway, 1074 Eastern Parkway and 1392 Sterling Place – are part of HPD’s Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP), which targets buildings with the most severe uncorrected violations. Together, the buildings have nearly 1,000 open code violations, and HPD has been required to make emergency repairs at each property. HPD and the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) have supported tenants in their fight for better conditions, including through Housing Court litigation seeking to compel the previous owners to make repairs.

Following the sale, HPD and MOPT will continue working with tenants and Schwartz to ensure the new ownership adequately invests in repairs and maintenance.

Tenants at the three buildings began organizing in 2018 for repairs and investment with support from Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE), a member-led tenant organizing project of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB), and Brooklyn Legal Services. They formed the Dukler Tenant Union in 2025 to organize for resident ownership and the transfer of ownership away from the Dukler family. The tenant union has reached an agreement with Schwartz that commits to rehabilitating the three buildings with tenant oversight and moving toward resident ownership.

The transfer is part of the Mamdani administration’s broader effort to hold the city’s most negligent landlords accountable and improve conditions for tenants across the New York City. The administration is using the enforcement and litigation tools available to the City to stand up for tenants, pursue repairs and work toward transferring buildings to more responsible ownership.

This work is part of the Mamdani administration’s commitment to addressing New York City’s housing crisis with the scale and urgency New Yorkers deserve. In Mayor Mamdani’s first budget, the administration invested $22 billion over five years in affordable housing capital, including $2.6 billion over the next two fiscal years specifically for affordable housing preservation.

Block by Block: The Housing Plan for a New Era further details the City’s plan to build 200,000 new affordable homes and preserve an additional 200,000 over the next decade. The plan also outlines the administration’s efforts to empower tenants, secure NYCHA’s future, expand and stabilize homeownership, invest in good jobs and deliver public excellence in housing, from permitting through lease-up.

Following more than 2,400 conversations with New Yorkers, the Mamdani administration also released the Rental Ripoff Report, which included 23 policy priorities to improve compliance, strengthen tenant organizing and make New York City’s housing market fairer.

ICE Lodges Detainer for Haitian Illegal Alien Charged with Killing a Woman and Strangling Another in Florida

 

This illegal alien was RELEASED into the United States by the Biden Administration

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer for an illegal alien from Haiti who has been charged with homicide, sexual battery, and other crimes after allegedly killing a woman and strangling another in Florida.

According to local reporting, the incident took place on August 27 in Lehigh Acres. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a report about a domestic disturbance at a duplex, where they found the body of a woman named Amadette Longin. The woman who made the 911 call said that she woke up to a man on top of her and strangling her, before she broke free and barricaded herself in the bathroom to call 911. Deputies arrived and took the suspect, Whycliff Longin, an illegal alien from Haiti, into custody. Amadette Longin’s family said that she was the suspect’s aunt and that the other victim was his cousin.

Whycliff Longin

Longin now faces charges of homicide, attempted homicide, sexual battery, and burglary with a battery. ICE lodged a detainer with the Lee County Jail the same day he was arrested.

“This illegal alien from Haiti is charged with homicide, attempted homicide, sexual battery, and burglary with a battery after allegedly killing a woman and attempting to strangle another woman to death,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “This dangerous illegal alien should have never been allowed into our country in the first place. If it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s reckless open-border policies, Amadette Longin would still be alive. ICE has lodged a detainer and will work with our partners in Florida to make sure this killer is never released onto our streets ever again.”

Longin illegally entered the United States through Florida in 2024. He was then RELEASED into the country by the Biden Administration.

Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of Fentanyl

 

Adrian Dion Pettaway Jr., 25, of Pensacola was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl, and Gindy Nicole Lacey, 49, of Pensacola was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, tramadol, and fentanyl. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These two cases underscore the excellent investigative work performed by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and root out the networks of criminals responsible for flooding our streets with deadly drugs, like meth and fentanyl. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live in safe, drug-free communities, and that is exactly what my office will deliver with continued aggressive prosecutions of the drug peddling criminals who have terrorized our streets for far too long.” 

Court records in the separately indicted cases reflect that in November 2024, Lacey sold tramadol pills and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. In December 2024, Lacey sold 1,000 pills containing fentanyl during an undercover operation. Further investigation revealed that Pettaway had supplied Lacey with the fentanyl pills sold during the undercover operation. Lacey was previously convicted of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence.               

The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Executive of Indian Chemical Company Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Distributing and Smuggling Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals

 

In First of its Kind Case, India-Based Defendant Smuggled Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals into the United States Knowing They Would Be Used to Manufacture Fentanyl

Bhavesh Lathiya was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 54 months in prison for his conviction of smuggling and distributing fentanyl precursor chemicals knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl.  Lathiya was the leader and founder of Raxuter Chemicals, a company based in Surat, India, that illegally sold and smuggled more than 50 pounds of chemicals commonly used to manufacture fentanyl.  As part of the case, the defendant was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $24,560.  The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2026 and will be deported upon completion of his prison term.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence. 

“During a national crisis when hundreds of Americans were dying every day of fentanyl overdoses, Lathiya smuggled and distributed chemical ingredients, including those that were the building blocks for this deadly drug, without any regard for the harm that his conduct would cause,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “With this sentence, the message is loud and clear that our Office will hold precursor traffickers like the defendant accountable for their role in the fentanyl supply chain.”

“Bhavesh Lathiya’s conduct placed him at the source of the fentanyl supply chain, where he knowingly moved the chemical building blocks of a lethal drug into the United States through deception, false labeling, and international shipments in a prosecution that breaks new ground against an India-based supplier.  By feeding the market for fentanyl at its earliest stage, he turned chemical commerce into a direct threat to public safety, widening the reach of a drug that continues to inflict profound harm across our communities.  This Homeland Security Task Force investigation, co-led by HSI New York, demonstrates our resolve to attack the fentanyl supply chain before the poison is manufactured, packaged, and sold to the public,” stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas. 

As set forth in court filings, Lathiya supplied precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, among other places, despite knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl.  He and his company also sent their chemical products to the United States and Mexico using international mail and package carriers.  The chemicals distributed by the defendant included all the materials necessary to manufacture fentanyl via the most common pathways.  To prevent detection and interception of chemical products at the borders, the defendant employed deceptive and fraudulent practices, such as mislabeling packages and falsifying customs forms. 

For example, on or about June 29, 2024, a package shipped by Raxuter Chemicals was delivered to an address in the Eastern District of New York.  The package had a false manifest that listed its contents as Vitamin C.  In truth, the contents were a List I chemical, 1-boc-4-piperidone, an unlawfully imported fentanyl precursor.

On or about October 2, 2024 and October 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an HSI undercover officer.  After being told by the undercover officer that his “clients in Mexico were very happy with the quality of what you sent me” and with “the yield they got of the final product,” Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis. Lathiya also proposed mislabeling the chemical as an antacid.  The undercover officer replied and asked if it would be easier to ship the product to Mexico, stating “This is a very controversial product … Because like you said it’s banned and in Mexico I think it could be easier but there’s so much pressure on them because of fentanyl.”  On or about November 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped approximately 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to the Eastern District of New York.  The package was mislabeled as an antacid. 

Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including but not limited to the Sinaloa Cartel, have increasingly availed themselves of the fentanyl precursors developed and distributed by companies like the defendant’s, including in India and China. 

This sentence follows the Office’s pathbreaking indictments of three Chinese chemical companies and three employees in United States v. Anhui Rencheng Technology Co. (Rencheng) Ltd et al. and United States v. Hefei GSK Trade Co. Ltd, et al., charging them with similar offenses, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute a List I chemical, distribution of a List I chemical, and customs fraud conspiracy.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. 

BRONX MOTORIST CONVICTED OF FIRST-DEGREE ASSAULT FOR SERIOUSLY INJURING E-BIKE RIDER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that a jury convicted Harold Vega of first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and other charges for a July 2024 hit-and-run collision that left a 39-year-old father gravely injured. Vega, evincing a depraved indifference to human life, recklessly led police on a high-speed chase through Astoria past dozens of traffic signals as he drove onto sidewalks and hurtled past intersections crowded with motorists before he struck the cyclist. He then continued without stopping until he rammed into a parked car. Vega was finally arrested after he attempted to run from the scene on foot.

District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant led police on a high-speed chase. He defied instructions by the police to pull over for more than 10 minutes all while blowing through traffic signals and stop signs. He maneuvered against traffic and onto sidewalks on a very busy afternoon in a residential neighborhood. He hit a cyclist who was obeying the rules of the road and left his victim in perilous condition, with severe head trauma that still affects his health and future to this day. A jury has now convicted him of first-degree assault and other serious charges and he is facing more than 25 years in prison.”

Vega, 48, of the Bronx, was convicted by a jury of assault in the first degree; reckless endangerment in the first degree; assault in the second degree; unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle in the second degree; leaving the scene of an accident without reporting; resisting arrest; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree; reckless driving; aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree; operating a motor vehicle or permitting it to be operated in this state without having in full force financial security; operating or driving a motor vehicle without a license; operating or driving an unregistered motor vehicle; and driving without proper license plates.

The jury deliberated for one day before convicting Vega. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered Vega to appear for sentencing on September 16 when he faces a cumulative sentence in excess of 25 years in prison.

DA Katz said, according to the charges and trial testimony, on July 3, 2024, at approximately 4:33 p.m., Vega was driving a gray 2003 Nissan Altima near the intersection of 36th Avenue and 21st Street in Astoria. A police officer in an unmarked patrol car noticed the car’s license plate was obscured with a tinted cover. Further investigation revealed the obscured plate belonged to a different car and the police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop after activating lights and sirens on his vehicle. Vega briefly paused as if he was stopping then made a U-turn in violation of the nearby traffic light and sped away from the officer.

Vega continued to drive, accelerating at a heightened speed through 25 additional steady red lights and 14 stop signs. He also drove against the flow of traffic, disregarded double yellow lines, wove in and out of traffic and drove on the sidewalk, endangering multiple pedestrians.

After going through a red light at 31st Avenue and Crescent Street, Vega struck Arturo Aguirre Matias, as the victim rode his electric bicycle with pedals across Crescent Street. Matias was inside the designated bike lane, traveling with the flow of traffic and had a green traffic signal in his favor. The force of the impact knocked Matias into the air before he landed causing severe head trauma.

After colliding with the victim, Vega did not stop and continued until he hit a parked car with sufficient force to deploy his car’s airbags. Vega then got out of the car and fled on foot.

Vega was confronted by good Samaritans, who thwarted his run near 24th Drive and 23rd Street where police caught up to him. During his arrest, police discovered a glassine envelope containing a quantity of cocaine in Vega’s pants pocket and determined his driver’s license was suspended. Vega had been previously convicted of unlicensed vehicle operation within 18 months of the incident. The vehicle he was driving was unregistered and uninsured.

Matias needed extensive hospital care for head trauma and requires extended, ongoing medical treatment for head trauma including a permanent and severe speech impairment and debilitating seizures.