Crime rates vary significantly from city to city in the state of New York. Overall, crime throughout the state is down by 6%. The state saw significant drops in violent crime. The decrease in crime wasn’t across all types of crime, and some cities saw significant increases in crime rates compared to last year. You may be wondering what the New York crime rate by city currently is.
Reporting by Spectrum News found that crime across 57 New York counties decreased in 2023 compared to the year prior. The decrease included four violent crime categories:
Following the release of the crime figures, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the downward trend was the result of partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels. Many states, including New York, saw sharp increases in crime during the pandemic, which has prompted public leaders to make addressing crime and the number of criminal arrests a top priority.
Hate crimes are up in New York City. Black and LGBT residents have been targeted by crime that can include verbal or written insults as well as physical violence. The steepest jump has been in hate crimes against Jews and Muslims. Hate crimes have increased by 90% between 2020 and 2022, but New York City is experiencing a pronounced uptick in reported hate crimes in NYC since October 2023.
To address the spike in hate crimes in New York City, the state governor announced a new initiative that will spend $60 million in 2024 and 2025 to combat hate-related crimes.
New York City saw declines across multiple crime categories in January 2024, including drops in rape, murder, burglary, and felony assault. The number of vehicles reported stolen dropped by 3.8% compared to the month prior.
January also saw murders drop by 25%, from 36 to 27. Rape went down significantly (24.4%). Other areas that saw declines in January 2024 include:
Over the past two years, police have taken 14,115 guns off the streets. Compared to the year prior, crime in New York City’s public housing developments decreased from 497 to 486.
The state’s capitol in 2022 had a crime rate of 456 per 100,000 people. For every 100,000 people who live in Albany, 456 would have been the victim of a crime. This is 1.9 times greater than the national average. Property crime and violent crime have increased in the city in the last five years, and as of April 2024, there are 333 sex offenders registered in the city.
Over the past 18 years, Buffalo has seen a 33% drop in crime. Rates for rape, homicide, robbery, burglary, and aggravated assault have all gone down. Weather and the seasons play a significant role in crime rates in Buffalo. During the months of winter, crime drops significantly, while summer months see a consistent uptick in crime. Between 2006 and 2023, there was a drop in the rate of robbery by 71%.
One city considered safer in New York is Rochester, which sees 1,550 violent crimes in a year. Overall, the crime rate in Rochester is 43 per 1,000. Syracuse is reported to have a crime rate 1.7 times higher than the national average, and the number of sex offenders that are registered as of April 2024, was 634.
A: Overall, crime in New York City has not increased. Recent data reported by the NYPD shows that crime is down if you look at the prior year. One example is last October, which saw a reduction in shootings from the year prior. Murder rates are also down. Individuals who were non-fatally shot has also declined in recent years.
A: Crime rates in Brooklyn are higher than the average compared to other major cities in this country. Brooklyn ranks in the 7th percentile for safety. This basically means that around 93% of cities in the country are safer. Of every 1,000 Brooklyn residents, 3.697 have experienced a criminal act.
A: The state of New York ranks 25th overall for low violent crime rate. Violent crime includes murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. Sometimes people think of New York having high crime rates because of New York City. Crime rates are trending downward in both New York City and the State of New York, partly due to concerted efforts by state and local officials to address the root causes of crime.
A: Crime rate statistics should be seen as a generalization of certain trends. They can be useful when determining whether a city’s law enforcement is doing a good job of protecting the public. A city that has high crime rates is not necessarily dangerous everywhere all the time. Crime is often higher in certain neighborhoods and at certain times of the day. You can reduce the chances that you will be a victim by taking basic precautions like walking with others at night.
Not all criminals commit the crime that they are charged with, and not every defender intends to commit a crime. There are many circumstances where bad luck and high emotions lead to a regrettable situation that requires the services of a criminal defense attorney.
With proper legal representation, you may be able to reduce the severity of the penalties you are facing. If you’ve been accused of a crime, The Vitaliano Law Firm can fight to have the charges dropped or reduced. Contact us today to set up a consultation.