Several crimes hit record-setting lows in New York City

Mayor Bill de Blasio is declaring New York City as the safest big city in the country after statistics showed hundreds fewer crime incidents in 2018.
The city achieved record-setting reductions in several crime categories, including murders, robberies, burglaries and shootings. De Blasio says the numbers have not been this low since the early 1950s.
The announcement was made at the 67th Precinct, an area de Blasio says is a great example of why he is so proud of the NYPD. The precinct saw 11 fewer murders in 2018 over the previous year, with the total number of murders down 89 percent since 1990.
It was the second year in a row there were fewer than 300 homicides in New York City.
"Good people, smart people, close observers thought there was no way that in a city of 8.6 million people could possibly get below 300 homicides in a year," says de Blasio. "NYPD has made it very clear by their actions that we are in a new normal now and we intend to go farther."
Not all crimes decreased in 2018. There was an increase in transit crimes and a more than 22 percent jump in rapes. Officials say they believe this increase in reporting is in response to the #MeToo movement and also reflects historic under-reporting being addressed.