New York Crime Drops 70% since 1990

“If the murder rate stayed where it was in 2001, there would have been 760 additional homicides in New York City,” in the last eight years. “History tells us 90% of the victims would have been minorities from low income neighborhoods.”

“Since 1990, as crime has fallen by more than 70%, admissions from New York City into state prisons has also fallen by 57%, from more than 16,000 in 1990 to fewer than 7,000 in 2008. What we’re showing is that success in fighting crime can lead to smaller, not larger, prison populations.”

Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his commissioners, of course, first rescued the city by proving law enforcement could prevent crime. Almost as remarkable is that Mayor Bloomberg has managed to drive the crime rate even lower.

The result, after 16 years of pressure and innovation, is that New York is by far the safest big city in America. Major crime, including murder and rape, has been cut by 76%, including an 11% drop this year. Since 1993, stolen car reports are down by an incredible 90%.

Noting the department might stop 600,000 people this year, an increase of 100,000 over 2008, Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: “This is a proven law enforcement tactic to fight and deter crime; one that is authorized by criminal procedure law.”