The crime rate in New York has risen to historical limits. What you need to know

Crime in New York has continued to remain at a high level since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The latest mass shooting in Manhattan has confirmed the city's problems with crime, which have reached their maximum in ten years. What caused the upsurge in violence and what solutions are proposed by politicians — in the Izvestia article.

What is the crime situation in New York?

• On July 28, another brutal crime occurred in New York, which attracted the attention of not only the country, but the whole world. A Las Vegas resident with a mental illness has staged a shooting in an office building in Manhattan, which houses the National Football League and the investment company Blackstone. He killed one policeman and three civilians, after which he committed suicide. One of the dead turned out to be a high-ranking Blackstone manager. Five more people suffered from gunshot wounds while trying to escape. The police found a rifle case, a loaded revolver and cartridges in the shooter's car. The motives of the criminal are not yet fully clear.

• Crime is one of the most exciting topics for residents of the largest city in the United States. The current mayor of New York, Eric Adams, gets a lot of criticism due to the fact that he, himself a former police captain, does not fulfill his election promise to reduce crime.

• In some ways, Adams' actions had an effect - in New York, there is a decrease in the number of serious crimes, including murders and shootings. However, it is falling more slowly than in the whole country. At the same time, the number of other serious crimes, such as beatings, carjacking and robberies, is growing.

• Expanded statistics, which include crimes related to quality of life, such as vandalism and trespassing, also show an increase in lawlessness in New York City. In 2024, there were more than 580,000 such incidents, which has not happened in the last decade. Phenomena such as graffiti and attempted break-ins are particularly striking to residents of the city, which is why there is a growing sense of danger and inaction by the authorities.

• The change of city government that will take place in 2026 is not encouraging for New Yorkers. The favorite in the upcoming mayoral elections is Zohran Mamdani, who has specific views on security issues. In the past, he called for a complete end to police funding, as he saw it as a source of racially and gender-based violence (we discussed in more detail what Mamdani's likely victory would mean for the United States here). This year, he abandoned such a radical idea, but now he proposes to combat the increase in crime not by strengthening the police, but by creating a department of public security that will prevent crimes through social protection.

What is the reason for the increase in crime

• The increase in crime in New York has several explanations, although none of them can be considered exhaustive and certainly accurate. The nationwide surge in crime that occurred against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic was of great importance. In 2020-2021, there were many more violent crimes in the country than before, and this was especially true in densely populated cities such as New York. By 2025, the crime rate had returned to its previous levels, but in New York it remained above the national average.

• The judicial reform that came into force in 2020 in New York State has contributed. It provided for the refusal of detention or bail upon suspicion of committing a number of crimes. Although the reform was supposed to cover minor offenses, those who were suspected of assault without serious injury, burglary, drug distribution, and certain categories of arson and robbery were also able to remain at large. Six months later, the conditions were tightened, and the judges were given back the right to set bail.

Non-childish showdown: shooting occurred at an Austrian school

At least 10 people, including students and teachers, were killed.

• Some people tend to blame the so-called "Ferguson effect" for the increase in crime. It lies in the fact that when there is a loud scandal with police violence, provoking mass protests, the public demands that politicians cut police funding. Law enforcement agencies stop showing enthusiasm and vigilance, and this leads to an increase in crimes, which is superimposed by mass riots, accompanied by robberies and a surge in violence. In 2020, protests took place in New York after the murder of African-American George Floyd, which could lead to the "Ferguson effect."

• Another reason for the high crime rate was the disorganization of the police department. Since 2022, Mayor Adams has replaced four police commissioners — they have not resigned so often since the 1980s, which was the most criminal period in New York's history. Although the work of the current commissioner, Jessica Tisch, is usually rated as quite effective, she has to deal with the legacy of her predecessors, who failed to fight crime even under the mayor's close attention.

• According to human rights organizations, there is a simpler explanation for the increase in crime. During Donald Trump's second term, the police focused on working in disadvantaged areas populated by ethnic minorities and migrants. They make it much easier to record crimes, especially small ones, which eventually distorts statistics and creates the impression of crime growth.

What is the situation in other cities

• Whatever the reasons for the current crime rate in New York, it is not as criminalized as other cities in the United States, as the media and residents themselves may imagine. Statistics for 2024 show that New York ranks 23rd among the largest American cities in terms of the number of serious violent crimes per capita, and 50th in terms of the number of murders.

• At the same time, it should be borne in mind that New York itself is heterogeneous, and it has both dangerous and safe areas. Crime is growing much more strongly in the disadvantaged Bronx than in respectable Manhattan and other areas inhabited by the middle class. The perception of crime may remain the same — in both places, people will be shocked that there has been another mass shooting or a high-profile robbery, but in one place this is an ordinary event, and in another it is already extraordinary.

• There are many cities in the United States that are experiencing economic decline, and it is there that crime reaches large proportions. The most dangerous places are usually recognized as Detroit, San Francisco, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans and others. Relative to them, New York remains a fairly calm city.