Overall crime across New York city dropped in August as the NYPD continues “proactive policing” efforts to also continue decreases in gun violence around the Five Boroughs, police announced Wednesday.
During August, the NYPD reported 11,400 incidents in the seven major crime categories — murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, grand larceny, burglary and auto theft. That represents a 1.4% decrease from the 11,574 such crimes that occurred in August 2022.
Meanwhile, police catalogued a 23.5% plunge in shooting incidents, with 88 episodes of gun violence reported in August 2023, down from the 115 tallied the previous August. So far, shootings are down 26.1% across New York City in the first eight months of 2023. Murders are also down 10%, and the city’s on track to finish 2023 with around 400 homicides.
While crime is down, arrests are way up. The NYPD arrested 4,796 suspects in August, a 19.4% bump from the number tallied during the same month last year. New York’s Finest could be on pace for a 21st century-record number of collars this year; through Aug. 31, officers have arrested 35,429 people, the most for any eight-month period since 1999.
Members of the NYPD remain steadfast in their work to combat crime, improve quality of life, and earn the confidence of everyone who lives in, works in, and visits the city. In August 2023, NYPD officers made 4,796 arrests in the seven major crime categories, a 19.4% increase compared to the same period last year. In the first eight months of this year, officers made 35,429 such arrests – the most for any eight-month period since 1999.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban credited the sharp turnaround in gun violence to the NYPD making hundreds of illegal firearms arrests this year through its gun violence reduction programs. In August alone, more than 342 people were arrested on gun charges; year-to-date, the NYPD has seized over 4,600 guns and arrested 2,916 gun criminals.
“The men and women of the NYPD work tirelessly each day and night to advance public safety and quality of life in New York City,” Caban said. “As this summer ends, with our city having made considerable progress in reducing crime and violence, New Yorkers can count on the NYPD’s ongoing vigilance in every neighborhood. We will continue to use our momentum to ensure that New York remains the safest big city in America.”
Breaking down the numbers
Auto thefts, known in the NYPD as grand larceny auto, had the biggest increase in August of any of the seven major crimes that the NYPD tracks. Nearly 1,500 auto thefts — which include reports of vehicles stolen, or vehicles which had parts removed by thieves — occurred last month, a 24.3% spike from the 1,204 auto thefts tallied in August 2022.
The NYPD says the jump is largely fueled by the “exploitation of vulnerabilities in the ignition systems of certain Kia and Hyundai models that make them vulnerable to theft.” In June, the city sued the two automakers seeking to compel them to fix those flaws, which have become fodder for young car thieves who have posted social media videos of stealing Kias and Hyundais to go on joyrides.
Felony assaults rose slightly; just eight more incidents occurred this August when compared to last August, according to the NYPD. Still, the 2,397 assaults tallied last month represents the second-most reported felony in the city.
Grand larcenies — which involve any theft of property exceeding $1,000 — was the most prolific crime in August, with 4,620 occurrences. Still, that is a drop of 131 from the 4,751 grand larcenies in August 2022.
Major crimes are down both above and below ground, police reported; the NYPD tallied 170 crimes in the subway system during August 2023, a 6.6% decrease from the same time last month. The NYPD has periodically surged additional officers into the subways over the last year to address crime spikes, such as a series of slashings that occurred in June.
The NYPD also touted success in its Merchants Business Improvement Program currently in place in three Queens precincts as part of an effort to curtail shoplifting. During August, the NYPD issued 83 trespass affidavits of suspected shoplifters at 142 small and large businesses taking part in the pilot program. The NYPD says it will now seek to expand the program throughout Queens.
