From the beginning of 2025 till the end of May, New York City recorded an unprecedented decline in the amount of shootings and homicides. According to officials, during this period, the city noted down 264 instances of shootings and 112 homicides, an all-time low in the city’s recorded crime history.
This is a significant achievement when compared to the year 2018 when the rise of criminal activities was a major concern. During the same timeline, the year 2018 saw 267 reported shootings, barely higher than the most recent count. Furthermore, the years 2017 and 2014 marked similarly low times for the city, with 113 homicides recorded in the corresponding period.
May, in particular, set records in both these undesirable categories. There were only 54 instances of shootings and 18 cases of homicides, marking a historic decrease in crime rate for the city during this time of the year.
The administration of Mayor Adams has been quick to attribute this success to their relentless efforts in removing illegal firearms from the streets of New York City. According to official data, more than 22,000 unlawful weapons have been seized and impounded so far.
A significant portion of these illegal weapon seizures happened at the onset of the year. The city confirms that 2,200 such seizures had been effected since the year kicked off, contributing to this year’s improved crime statistics.
The NYPD CompStat’s latest data provides more detailed insights on crime distributions across the city. It reveals that as of May 25, Southern Queen’s Patrol Borough, comprising precincts from 100th to 116th, has seen a reduction in the criminal incidents. The shooting incidents came down from 35 to 14 this year, a drop of 60 percent compared to the last year.
On the homicide front, the same area witnessed a satisfactory decline of 26.7 percent, with the number of persons murdered being down to 11 from the previous period in 2024; clearly a win for the city’s strategic crime fighting efforts.
Unfortunately, the story is different in the Northern part of Queens Borough, where there seems to an unexpected crime surge. This area, made up of precincts from 104th to 115th, has so far experienced 17 shooting incidents, marking a staggering 240 percent increase when compared to last year. The same period last year only saw five shootings.
In this part of the city, the homicide rate also doubled from last year’s statistics. By this point in time, the number of people who lost their lives in violent incidents reached 12, an alarming leap from the previous year’s six incidents.
A majority of the shootings in Queens this year occurred in the 114th Precinct. This precinct encompasses the territories of Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside, and Jackson Heights and reported a total of seven shooting incidents this year.
Senior officers of the force were keen to stress that such positive outcomes in significantly lowering crime rates don’t happen by chance. They attribute the success to the extensive anti-illegal firearms operations and data-based policing strategies, which involve deploying more forces in regions and at times when the probability of crime is statistically high.
The city’s law enforcement agencies have no plans of reducing their pressure on criminal elements. They reiterated their commitment to intensify the summer violence reduction plan, which is touted as daring and aggressive, aiming to further the safety gains made until now.
There is always a note of caution in interpreting the decreasing crime rate, particularly when the data is still being compiled for a year that’s not over. Celebrations could be premature if the trend reverses in the later part of the year, a common occurrence as we head into the hotter summer months when crime tends to rise.
However, it is undeniably good news that the rate of murder is down. While there is a correlation between the number of firearms in circulation and violence rates, on a broader scale, it demonstrates that the public policy of deterrence regarding illegal firearm possession is somewhat effective.
The New York state reforms have posed challenges, making it tough for law enforcement to combat crime. Despite these complications, the visible decrease in crime incidents seems to suggest that consistent efforts yielding results, especially when it comes to disarming the populace.
One key advantage of the policy against illegal guns is that even if the judiciary takes a lenient stance against the offenders, the seized firearm stays impounded. With every weapon recovered from the streets, the city feels a bit safer.