Murders and shootings in New York City are at historic lows, according to new NYPD statistics released for the month of May. Major crime across the city is down more than ten percent compared to the same period last year.
Overall crime is down more than six percent year to date, with the Bronx recording the biggest drop in the city. Auto theft has plunged more than 27 percent, robberies are down more than 15 percent, and burglaries have declined more than 13 percent.
The improvements come as the NYPD rolled out a major restructuring of patrol operations in the Bronx last month. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the creation of separate Bronx North and Bronx South patrol commands to improve response times and community policing.
However, transit crime tells a starkly different story in the borough. Crime on public transport in Bronx North has surged 39 percent, while Bronx South has seen an increase of more than eleven percent, raising concerns about safety on buses and subway lines.
Hate crimes are also on the rise across the city, with more reported incidents than at this time last year. The NYPD has not provided a breakdown of which communities are being targeted most, but advocacy groups say anti-Semitic and anti-Asian incidents remain particularly elevated.
The city's transportation department is simultaneously rolling out new predictive sensors across the five boroughs to make streets safer. The technology tracks vehicles and pedestrians in real time and can measure speeds to identify high-risk locations before accidents occur.
The city stresses the sensor system is designed with privacy in mind, with video processed in real time and then immediately deleted. Faces and license plates are automatically hidden in any footage that is retained for analysis purposes.