NYC is Safest Big City Again

According to the FBI's Preliminary Crime Report for 2006, New York City's crime has dropped 5.3% from last year and is once again the safest big city. Based on the number of crimes per 100,000 people, NYC ranked 25th, out of the 25 largest cities; out of the 244 cities with populations of more than 100,000, NYC ranks 230th.

For crime statistics nerds, here are some interesting numbers: NYC experienced decreases (when measuring 2006 vs. 2005) for rape, robbery, assault, violent crime, burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft, and property crime; however, the murder increased by 10.6%. At any rate, NYC crime still decreased by a cumulative 5.6%, versus 2.9% nationally. Overall, NYC crime has dropped 22.1% since 2001.

Mayor Bloomberg said, "Crime continues to come down in New York City, even as it goes up in other parts of the country. The hard work and innovative strategies of the NYPD are effective, but we will not rest on these successes. We will continue to give the police the tools they need to push crime down even further, while continuing to protect the City from the threat of terrorism." He did not mention the problems with recruiting and negotiating a new contract with the NYPD, though.

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By Jen Chung in News on June 5, 2007 1:01 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

i love it when people try to debate actual crime facts. i live in NY but go to school in DC, and I can definitely feel the difference in atmosphere between the cities. It's always great in DC when you hear people say "oh don't go to Southeast, they'll kill you!". New York City always wins.

schmod

I was always under the impression that the drop in the NYC crime rates were an unexplained anomaly.

I mean.. in the 90s, they went from being pretty ghastly to being among the best in the world in just a few years.

guest

however, the murder increased by 10.6%

Maybe you missed that... Gun control can also mean that people who actually abide by the law are defensless against people who don't... The crime rate in general dropped, despite the fact that murder increased by 10.6%.

guest

@#5:

Read that again: Mayor Bloomberg has taken guns out of the hands of crazed wackjobs.

Nobody said crazed wackjobs turned their guns in on their own.

Ever heard of ENFORCEMENT?

guest

Yuh-huh, everyone knows crazed wackjobs obey gun control laws.

guest

There is one main reason why New York is the safest big city in America: strict gun control laws. End of story.

New Yorkers are free to walk about happily in the streets knowing that Mayor Bloomberg has taken guns out of the hands of crazed wackjobs.

moneda

I admire the tactics of New York's finest: keep law abiding citizens in their homes upon fear of dying in a hail of slugs or getting their property stolen, there-by keeping them out of the grips of criminals who might actually receive jail time if they were to kill or rob people.

Brilliant!