New York City recorded the lowest number of shootings and murders in its history for the first two months of a year, police officials announced Monday, marking a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing efforts to curb violent crime.
Data released by the New York Police Department shows that for January and February combined, the city saw 83 shooting incidents and 97 shooting victims, surpassing previous all-time lows of 92 and 105 set in 2025 and 2019, respectively.
Murders also plummeted to a historic low. The city recorded 32 murders year-to-date, beating the previous record of 38 set in 2018. The decline in violence contributed to an overall 8% drop in major index crime across the five boroughs, representing approximately 1,100 fewer reported crimes compared to the same period last year.
“Once again, the NYPD is demonstrating how targeted, data-driven policing is reducing crime and keeping communities safe,” said Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “In the first two months of this year, we have seen the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims, murders, and burglaries in recorded history for January and February combined.”
Key Statistics: Year-to-Date (Jan–Feb 2026)
| Category | 2026 (YTD) | Previous Record Low |
| Shooting Incidents | 83 | 92 (2025) |
| Shooting Victims | 97 | 105 (2025) |
| Murders | 32 | 38 (2018) |
| Major Crime | Down 8% | — |
The report highlighted significant gains in the city’s public housing developments, which saw their safest start to a year on record. In February alone, the NYPD reported record lows for shootings, murders, and robberies within New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) complexes.
Property crimes also saw a sharp decline. Burglary dropped nearly 20% in February, reaching its lowest year-to-date level in recorded history. Retail theft, a primary focus of recent city enforcement initiatives, fell by 24.7% last month.
Officials attributed the reductions to the “Winter Violence Reduction Plan,” a strategy that deploys roughly 1,800 uniformed officers to nightly foot posts in high-crime “zones” across 33 precincts, housing developments, and the transit system. Since the plan’s inception in January, major crime within these targeted zones has reportedly dropped by 23.1%.
Despite the historic lows in violent crime, challenges remain in the transit system. While overall crime is down, transit crime saw a slight uptick of 6.1% in January, largely driven by felony assaults and thefts of unattended items. In response, the department has increased its daily transit deployment by approximately 140 additional officers.
The announcement comes as the city continues to build on the safety gains of 2025, which Tisch previously described as a “historic year” for New York.
