NYC Records Safest Year Ever for Gun Violence

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

New York City recorded the lowest levels of gun violence in its recorded history in 2025, with sharp declines in shootings, shooting victims, murders, and major crime across all five boroughs, city officials announced at a press conference at One Police Plaza.

Speaking alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the results reflect historic, not incremental, progress in public safety.

“In 2025, New York City recorded 688 shooting incidents, the lowest number in the City’s history,” Tisch said, noting a 24 percent decline from 2024 and a 36 percent drop in the fourth quarter alone. The city also recorded 856 shooting victims, another all-time low, representing a 22 percent reduction year over year.

Tisch emphasized that the declines were citywide. Manhattan saw shootings drop 38 percent, while the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island each experienced reductions of roughly 25 percent or more. Brooklyn also recorded a significant decrease, down 15 percent from 2024. Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island each posted their lowest shooting totals ever.

Major crime fell 3 percent citywide, with reductions in every borough and a nearly 4 percent decline in public housing. Murders dropped 20 percent compared to 2024, with 77 fewer victims. Robbery declined by nearly 10 percent, burglaries fell by close to 4 percent, and auto theft dropped by 5 percent. Retail theft decreased by 14 percent, a turnaround officials attributed to focused enforcement and sustained investigations.

The city’s subway system also saw major gains. According to the NYPD, 2025 was the safest year on the subways outside of the pandemic era since 2009. Transit robberies fell to their lowest level ever, and subway shooting incidents declined by 63 percent. A recent MTA poll found that nearly 70 percent of riders now report feeling safe using the system, a 12-point increase from the start of the year.

Tisch credited the results to “precision policing,” including expanded foot patrols, permanent violence-reduction zones, and targeted takedowns of violent gangs. In 2025, the NYPD carried out 70 gang takedowns, resulting in the arrest of 390 gang members. She also pointed to historic hiring, with more than 4,000 officers added across four academy classes, bringing the department close to its authorized headcount.

Mayor Mamdani said the statistics represent more than numbers. “Each of those percentage points adds up to dining room tables without an empty seat,” he said. “They mean children growing up with parents at home, seniors riding the subway without fear, and neighborhoods that feel alive again.”

Governor Hochul highlighted the state’s role in supporting the city’s crime-fighting efforts, including billions of dollars in public safety investments, interstate cooperation to stem illegal gun trafficking, and legal reforms aimed at repeat offenders and domestic violence cases. She also announced plans to introduce safety zones around houses of worship and new measures targeting 3D-printed “ghost guns.”

Despite the historic gains, officials cautioned against complacency. Youth violence remains a concern, with 14 percent of shooting victims and 18 percent of shooting suspects under the age of 18 in 2025. In response, the NYPD launched school safety zones this fall, where officials report overall crime is down 53 percent and shootings are down more than 75 percent.

“Hate crimes declined overall, but antisemitism remains the most persistent hate threat we face,” Tisch added. Antisemitic incidents accounted for 57 percent of all hate crimes in the city, despite Jewish New Yorkers comprising roughly 10 percent of the population.

As the city looks ahead to 2026, all three leaders stressed that the current strategy will remain in place. “These accomplishments are ones to be celebrated,” Mamdani said, “and they are also ones to be built on.”

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