New York City saw continued declines in gun violence and major crime in 2025 and early 2026, with shooting incidents, shooting victims and homicides reaching historically low levels, according to state and local crime data released this week.
Preliminary year-end statistics from the New York City Police Department show that shooting incidents in 2025 fell 24 percent, shooting victims fell 22 percent and deaths from gun violence declined 19 percent compared with 2024, reflecting “continued progress” in reducing violent crime in the city, officials said. The data was included in a statewide announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighting record-low gun violence.
Hochul’s office said in a press release that communities participating in New York State’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative reported the lowest levels of shooting incidents on record last year, contributing to a 61 percent reduction in statewide gun violence since 2021, when she took office. While much of the emphasis in the state release was on upstate declines, the preliminary City Police Department figures were included as part of the broader announcement.
The NYPD’s own historical data show that 2025 was the safest year on record for gun violence in New York City, with both the number of shooting incidents and shooting victims reaching historic lows. In December alone, the city recorded just 35 shooting incidents, the fewest ever in any month.
Citywide weekly CompStat figures for the week ending Feb. 1, 2026, also reflected broad reductions in major crimes compared with the same period a year earlier: murders were down 54 percent, robberies down nearly 9 percent, burglary down 30 percent and grand larceny down about 1.5 percent, according to NYPD records.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch has credited the declines to precision policing strategies, including targeted enforcement, increased patrols and efforts to remove illegal guns from the streets. City police data show more than 5,000 illegal firearms seized in 2025 and dozens of gang-related operations targeting violent offenders.
“These historic reductions in crime did not happen by chance or accident — they are the direct product of a deliberate, data-driven strategy achieving unprecedented public safety milestones for New York City,” Tisch said in a statement accompanying the NYPD data.
Mayor Zohran K. Mamdani also highlighted improved safety, saying lower violence levels reflect collaborative work between city and state officials and law enforcement. Mamdani has continued emphasis on both enforcement and community intervention programs as part of the city’s overall public safety approach.
The City Police Department’s annual data and weekly CompStat reports remain subject to final review and adjustment as additional 2025 statistics are finalized and audited.
