100+ New York City Crime Statistics

Looking at New York City crime statistics by year gives a better idea of how misdemeanor and felony offenses have fluctuated from year to year.

In New York City there are seven major felony offenses which include vehicle theft, house burglaries, and fatalities.

There are major felony offenses that do not fall under these categories such as arson, drug and weapon charges, as well as sex crimes.

In New York City there are several categories for misdemeanor offenses including possession of stolen property, driving under the influence, and misdemeanor vehicle and traffic law offenses.

New York City crime statistics over the last 22 years paint a clear picture of very high crime rates across all categories of felonies and misdemeanors around the year 2000 with slight decreases and a period of significantly reduced crime from 2013 until 2019.

Other data indicates that 2019 had the lowest levels of historical crime data, possibly the result of changes to policing regulations compounded by the initial lockdown requirements for covid. However, data indicates that all of these categories have seen an uptick in crime over the last two years.

New York City Crime Statistics by Year: House Burglaries

When reviewing data over the last 22 years, New York City crime statistics indicate that house burglaries were at their highest in 2000 but they dropped by over 50% not 10 years later. The best time frame with the lowest number of house burglaries was between 2013 and 2019. However, those rates have increased since covid lockdown measures have been lifted.

• 105: In the year 2000 there was an average of 105 house burglaries in New York City every day.
• 50: In the year 2010 the rate of daily house robberies across New York City averaged 50.
• 42: In the year 2020 the average number of house burglaries per day in New York City was down to 42.
• 38,352: Over the last 22 years, the year 2000 had the highest number of house burglaries in New York City at 38,352.
• 10,783: 2019 during the covid lockdown had the lowest number of house burglaries in New York City at only 10,783, nearly one quarter of what took place in 2000 and one half the rate of 2008.
• 18%: Between 2021 and 2022 the number of average house burglaries increased by 18%.
• 28%: There was a 28% difference in the New York City crime statistics by year for house burglaries between the highest number of annual cases in the lowest number of annual cases in 2000 and 2019 respectively.

Source: NYC Crime

The table below outlines the number of reported cases for house burglaries from 2000 until 2022:

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics by Year: Robbery

Robbery is considered one of the seven major felony offenses in New York City. Robbery, like all of the other seven major felony offenses, saw a gradual decline in the number of cases between 2000 and 2004 with a small uptick in 2005 followed by a gradual decline particularly starting at 2013.

• 32,562: Over the last 22 years, the year 2000 had the highest number of robberies averaging 32,562 annually.
• 12,913: Over the last 22 years 2018 had the lowest number of robberies at 12,913.
• 39%: There was a 39% difference in the New York City crime statistics by year for robbery between the highest number of annual cases in the lowest number of annual cases in 2000 and 2018 respectively.
• 89: In the year 2000 there were 89 robberies per day on average.
• 53: In the year 2010 there were an average of only 53 robberies per day.
• 35: In the year 2020 there were only an average of 35 robberies per day.

Source: NYC Crime

The table below provides a look at the last 22 years worth of annual robbery data:

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics by Year: Vehicle Thefts

In New York City Grand Larceny of Motor Vehicle rates have gone down over the past 22 years although they remain quite high today. Vehicle theft numbers remained at their lowest between 2017 and 2019 but between 2019 and 2020 rates of vehicle theft nearly doubled. They have continued to rise by a third each year since.

The table below outlines the number of reported cases for vehicle theft valued at over $1,000 from 2000 until 2022:

Source: NYC Crime

• 35,442: In the last 22 years the highest rate of vehicle theft was in the year 2000 at 35,442 thefts per year.
• 5,424: The lowest rate of vehicle theft was in 2018 when there were only 5,424 vehicle thefts reported in the year.
• 6.53x: There was a 6.53x increase in the New York City crime statistics by year for vehicle thefts between the highest number of annual cases in the lowest number of annual cases in 2000 and 2018 respectively.
• 2013-2019: Between 2013 and 2019 New York City experienced the lowest levels of vehicle theft.
• 97: In the year 2000 there were 97 car thefts per day on average in New York City.
• 28: In the year 2010 the number of average car thefts per day was only 28 in New York city.
• 24: In the year 2020 the number of average car thefts per day was only 24 in New York city.
• 14: In the year 2018 there were only an average of 14 car thefts per day in New York city.

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics by Year: Fatalities

When reviewing crime data for murder rates across New York City there was a steady decline historically between 2000 and 2005 with an uptick in 2006. Starting in 2013 crime dropped to its lowest rate and remained at nearly half of what it was in the year 2000 until the year 2020.

• 2017: 2017 had the lowest number of fatalities through voluntary and involuntary murder since 2000, at only 292.
• 2000: The year 2000 had the highest number of murders in New York City over the last 22 years, at 673 murders.
• 2013-2019: 2013 through 2019 had the lowest historical murders over the last 22 years with an average of 300 murders per year.
• 149: The year after the 2019 lockdown, fatalities in New York City increased by 149 compared to 2019.
• 1.2: In 2022 there were 1.2 murders every day in New York City.
• 1.8: In 2000 20 there were 1.8 murders every day in New York City.

Source: NYC Crime

The table below outlines the rates of murder, both involuntary and voluntary from 2000 until 2023:

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics: Other Felony Offenses

In New York city, there are several felony offenses that do not fall under the seven major categories and these include:

1. A felony charge for possession of stolen property
2. Identity theft
3. Arson
4. A third charge for felony sex crimes
5. A felony charge for Dangerous drug possession
6. A second charge for dangerous weapons possession
7. Felony criminal mischief

The table below indicates the annual totals for the remaining felony offenses over the last 22 years:

Source: NYC Crime

Crime rates for all other felony offenses in New York City declined from the year 2000 until 2005 at which point there were a few years of increased activity until the year 2010. Crime rates for all other felony offenses including identity theft, drug charges, and possession of stolen property went up exponentially right after the economic crash of 2008 with the highest rates in the last 22 years showing up in the year 2009.

However, following an economic stimulus package, those rates dropped by over 30%. From that point on rates began to drop marginally with a steep drop during the covid lockdown.

• 2009: 2000 had the highest rate of all other felony offenses at  83,760.
• 2020: 2020 had the lowest rate of all other felony offenses in the last 22 years at only 41,015.
• 13%: There was a 13% increase in all other felony offenses between 2021 and 2022 when covid lockdown parameters were lifted.
• 221: In the year 2000 there was an average of 221 felony offenses every day of the year.
• 162: By the year 2010 the average number of felony offenses every day in New York City dropped to 162.
• 112: In the year 2020 the number of felony offenses every day averaged only 112.
• 27%: Between 2021 and 2010 the number of total felony offenses dropped by 27%.
• 50%: Between 2000 the year 2000 and 2020 the number of total felony offenses dropped by an average of 50%.

New York City Crime Statistics: Misdemeanors

New York misdemeanors gradually decreased from 2000 until 2013 at which point there was a dramatic decrease over the next several years until 2020 when misdemeanors hit their lowest levels at 214,263 per year. This was likely owing in large part to the covid lockdown measures.

Since those measures have been lifted, there has been a slight increase in the annual rate of misdemeanors across the city.

The table below provides the annual rates of misdemeanors across New York City over the last 22 years:

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics: Criminal Trespass

Out of the several misdemeanor offenses in New York state criminal trespass is often linked to things such as robbery and burglary. but New York City crime statistics indicate that Criminal Trespass has dropped steeply over the last 22 years and continues to drop in 2022.

The table below provides the annual rates of criminal trespass across New York City over the last 22 years:

Source: NYC Crime

New York City Crime Statistics: Possession of Stolen Property

A misdemeanor charge of possession of stolen property has seen a sharp increase between 2009 and 2013 at which point it begins to drop by half and continues to drop through present day. Statistics indicate that the sharp increase for possession of stolen property began around the same time as the fallout from the 2008 economic crash but, like all New York City crime, began to deteriorate around 2013.

The table below provides the annual rates of possession of stolen property charges across New York City over the last 22 years:

Source: NYC Crime

2013-2019: Low Crime Rates

New York City crime statistics show two very clear things:

1. First, the year 2000 had some of the highest levels of reported crime in the last 22 years.
2. Second, the time frame between 2013 and 2009 had the lowest level of crime, with crime figures not only dropping drastically compared to years prior but remaining relatively stable.

There are several explanations for these two items.

Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, aggressive policing tactics were initiated particularly after 9/11. This resulted in some of the highest levels of New York City crime rates in the last 22 years. This explains the high levels of felony and misdemeanor crimes particularly around 2000 through 2006.

However, these policing tactics were ruled unconstitutional, like the stopping and frisking measures in 2013, shifting New York City crime statistics to their historically low levels. Around that time Bill De Blasio had been elected the new mayor for New York City and he invested heavily in expanding nonprofits to reduce violence, building out a crisis management system within the city, and setting up a new program for public housing.

At the same time, prosecutors and judges were encouraged to seek alternatives to incarceration. City Council members provided police officers with the freedom to issue civil summons for low-level crimes rather than criminal summons. These types of tickets meant that individuals charged with misdemeanors or other violations could be given a ticket requiring them to appear in court rather than arresting them.

Violent crimes were drastically reduced, shootings went down, burglaries, robberies, other felonies and misdemeanors all saw a sharp decline during this time frame.

As the number of police officers remained steady and funding remained steady but diverted into more appropriate economic policies, New York City saw some of its lowest levels of crime during this time frame until the pandemic.