Bronx leads NYC as major crime, gun violence drop to historic lows
In the Bronx, major crime is down 11% year to date, the largest decline of any borough.
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New York City is seeing historic declines in gun violence and major crimes in the first five months of the year, with the Bronx leading all boroughs in overall reductions, according to new data released Wednesday by the New York Police Department.
Police officials said murders citywide are down more than 20% compared with the same period last year. Shooting incidents and the number of shooting victims have also reached record lows, marking what the department described as the safest start to a year on record for those categories.
In the Bronx, major crime is down 11% year to date, the largest decline of any borough. Authorities said the drop includes decreases in robberies, burglaries, grand larcenies and auto thefts.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch attributed the reductions to the department’s “precision policing” strategy, which focuses on deploying resources to high-crime areas, targeting illegal guns and gangs, and increasing officer presence in so-called hot spots.
The NYPD also pointed to its summer violence reduction plan, which sends thousands of additional officers into communities each night. Officials said crime in areas covered by the initiative has dropped by nearly 28% since the program launched last month.
The department also recently reorganized policing in the Bronx, splitting it into two separate patrol boroughs for the first time.
Officials say they plan to continue using targeted strategies and increased patrols as the summer months approach, a time when crime has historically risen.
