Murders reach lowest levels in NYC history with nearly 25% drop amid huge 2026 crime reduction

The Big Apple just saw the fewest number of murders over the first six months of any year in history — as an unprecedented dip in major crime spread across the metropolis in 2026, new NYPD statistics show.The five boroughs saw 122 murders through the end of June this year, a near 25% drop over the 162 over the same span last year, and shattered the 2017 record of 136 in 2017, the statistics show.Shootings, transit crime and robberies also all dipped across the city so far this year — for a nearly 6% overall drop in major crimes despite New York’s Finest grappling with millions flocking into town for the Knicks NBA title and victory parade, FIFA World Cup games and the America250 celebration.“Those results would be significant in any year,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Thursday.“But they’re especially significant now because New York City is in the middle of one of the busiest seasons that it has ever seen, with the NYPD managing some of the largest and most complex overlapping events in the country.“Even with all this happening at once, and with New York once again on the globa stage, this department is continuing to drive down major crime,” Tisch said.

The only blemish in the Apple are a continued increase in rapes and hate crimes, more than half of them designated at antisemitic incidents, the stats show.But all else is rosy.Through the end of June this year, police reported 322 shootings, beating the record low of 337 set in 2018 and 2025, with 381 shooting victims, which shattered the 2025 previous low of 387 in 2025.Shooting incidents are actually less than half of what they were five years ago during the Covid-19 crime increase, the numbers show.Other major crimes continued to dip, including a nearly 16% drop in burglaries, with 5,354 over the first six months of 2026, compared to 6,359 over the same period last year.

Robberies dipped to 6,387 this year after 7,248 last year, a 12% decrease.Public housing tenants have also...