Big Apple shootings hit all-time low, subways safer, retail theft dips 20%, new NYPD crime stats show

The city looks brighter now, but it will be up to Zoh to make sure things don’t spoil.

Police departments and commentators reported that shooting incidents across New York are at a historic low, the murder rate ties the lowest figure ever recorded, and shoplifting has fallen dramatically. These numbers are intended to send a clear sign to Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani—who runs on a socialist platform—about how city policy should be carried out.

“Listen, it’s his to lose, it’s his to screw up,” political consultant and former officer Hank Sheinkopf told The Post on Tuesday. “[Mayor Eric] Adams and [NYPD Commissioner Jessica] Tisch left him with a city where crime is under control, and if he does the things he’s talking about, it could get out of control.”

Mamdani has been outspoken against the NYPD and has dismissed the department’s own staffing concerns. Nonetheless, he requested that Commissioner Tisch remain in place—a move law‑enforcement supporters welcome. However, specialists warn that the honeymoon period could sour if he interferes with her work.

“He cannot ignore the fact the department is understaffed,” said Maria Haberfelt, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “His claim to fame is that he doesn’t want to recruit. If he wants to keep some sort of trajectory, he needs to rethink his thinking.”

The fresh data indicates that the city is safer now than it was even before the pandemic.

Figures demonstrate that last month marked the safest November yet for the subways and matched the lowest monthly number of city‑wide murders recorded since 2018.

Commissioner Tisch highlighted the “precision policing strategy” that has led to the improvements. “These historic gains are the result of our precision policing strategy and officers executing that strategy with the discipline and dedication that defines this noble work,” she wrote in a statement released on Tuesday.

She added, “Our plan is working, the progress is real, and I’m grateful to Mayor [Eric] Adams for providing the tools that make these public safety gains possible.”

The NYPD’s numbers show 652 shootings with 812 victims across the five boroughs in the first eleven months of the year—a new all‑time low compared with 696 shootings and 828 victims in the same period in 2018.

The city saw 16 murders last month—a 46.6 % drop from November 2024—which matched the lowest monthly homicide total recorded in 2018, with no killings in Queens or Staten Island.

Police also said that subway crime, a perennial worry, continued to decline. “This was the safest July, August, September, October and November in recorded history,” the department noted.

Transit crimes totaled 167 last month, down from 222 in November of the previous year—a nearly 25 % drop and the safest November for subways on record.

As the holiday season begins, police highlighted a decline in retail thefts, reporting 4,221 incidents last month versus 5,285 during the same period last year.

The NYPD also noted a month‑to‑month drop in burglary, robbery, theft and grand larceny cases.

Commissioner Tisch cited a suite of targeted‑policing initiatives, including the Fall Violence Reduction Plan, which deployed up to 1,800 uniformed officers for foot patrols in 54 assigned zones—highlighting high‑risk locations such as housing projects and vulnerable subway stations.

Mayor‑elect Mamdani’s administration has further rolled out quality‑of‑life and anti‑gang units throughout the city.

“These strategies we put in place have made the city safer,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “When we invest in the brave men and women of the NYPD and the strategies to ensure success, our city is safer and feels safer.”

The real test will be whether Mamdani keeps the momentum once he takes the helm.

“When crime is low, a New York City mayor has a broader margin to pursue and implement other parts of their agenda,” Alyssa Cass, partner at Slingshot Strategies, told The Post. “Low crime rates are a green light for advancing the more ambitious elements of his plan.”

A former senior NYPD commander weighed in.

“My advice to Mamdani is leave the NYPD alone,” former Police Commissioner William Bratton said. “Focus instead on your rent control, mental health, and free buses.”

“The stats show that Jessie Tisch’s leadership over the past year is showing results,” he added. “It’s going to be a challenge for Mamdani to make sure this positive trend continues. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Additional reporting by Carl Campanile