The New York Police Department said Thursday that the city recorded the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders in its history during the first half of 2026, as major crime declined nearly 6% citywide and fell in every borough.
Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced the figures in a July 2 release, saying New York had 322 shooting incidents from Jan. 1 through June 30. That figure is down from 337 in the same period last year and sits below the previous record of 337 set in 2018 and matched in 2025. The city also recorded 381 shooting victims, compared with 397 a year earlier, and 122 murders, down from 162 in the first half of 2025.
The NYPD said the drops reflect “precision policing,” targeted deployments, and investigations focused on illegal guns and violent gangs. The department said detectives conducted 61 gang-related takedowns this year and seized more than 2,530 guns. Commissioner Tisch said the results were the product of “focused enforcement, targeted deployments, and noble police work.”
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani praised the department, saying the data showed New Yorkers were experiencing the “safest start to any year on record” and that the city’s whole-of-government approach to public safety was working.
Overall major crime declined 5.8% year to date, with 55,157 incidents compared with 58,581 in the same period of 2025—a decrease of 3,424 crimes. In the second quarter alone, major crime fell 7.7%, to 29,141 from 31,575.
The Bronx posted the largest decline in index crime among the boroughs, down 12% year to date, with 13,434 incidents compared with 15,208 during the first half of 2025. The NYPD said the borough’s two-patrol structure, implemented during the second quarter, was designed to make the response more focused and effective.
Burglary dropped 15.8% citywide to 5,354 incidents, the lowest level since 2019, while robbery fell 11.9% to 6,387. Auto theft declined 9.7% to 5,838, and retail theft was down 16.3% to 22,482. Felony assault was essentially flat at 14,757 incidents.
The department said public housing developments saw historic lows in several categories, including 9 murders, 49 shooting incidents, 51 shooting victims, and 344 robberies during the first half of the year. Overall crime in public housing dropped 8.5% to 2,659 incidents.
On the subway system, major crime fell 0.6% year to date to 1,102 incidents. The NYPD said last year was the safest year in the subway system since 2009, excluding pandemic years, and noted that this year’s numbers continued that trend.
The report also highlighted enforcement tied to e-bikes, e-scooters, and so-called ghost vehicles. Since a focused initiative began May 27, e-bike moving violations were up 74%, e-scooter moving violations were up 247%, and e-bike seizures were up 273% compared with the same period last year.
The NYPD said it issued 142,719 ghost plate parking summonses and 15,063 ghost plate moving summonses, and towed 3,136 ghost cars so far this year. It also said illegally parked moped and motorcycle tows rose 369%.
The department said confirmed hate crimes rose 7.7% year to date, to 322 from 299 last year. More than half of those incidents (55.3%) were anti-Jewish hate crimes, according to the report.
The NYPD said it reports both alleged and confirmed hate crimes to improve transparency, adding that 237 hate crimes were reported in the second quarter alone, though not all were ultimately confirmed as hate crimes under state law.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
