New York City’s Police Department announced on Wednesday that major crime across the five boroughs declined by 3% in April 2025 compared to the same month last year. This marks the seventh consecutive month the city has recorded a decrease in overall index crime, according to data released by Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.
While the overall trend shows improvement, the April statistics reveal a mixed picture with significant drops in several key categories offset by increases in others, including murder, shootings, and transit crime during the month.
Continued Decline in Key Categories
The overall 3% decrease in April 2025 index crime reflects sustained reductions in several significant categories. Robbery saw a notable decline, falling by 13.5%, with 1,170 incidents reported compared to 1,352 in April 2024. Burglary also decreased by 9.6%, from 1,055 incidents in April 2024 to 954 in April 2025.
Grand Larceny, a high-volume crime, was down by 4% in April 2025, recording 3,726 incidents compared to 3,881 during the same period last year. These declines contributed significantly to the overall downward trend reported by the NYPD.
Year-to-Date Performance Highlights
Looking at the year-to-date figures through April 2025, the city has seen a more substantial decrease in certain serious crimes. Murders are down 24% year-to-date, with 92 incidents recorded compared to 121 by this time in 2024. Shooting incidents (73) and victims (86) in April 2025 represented increases compared to April 2024 (60 incidents, 69 victims). However, year-to-date, both shooting incidents and victims remain at their lowest levels since 2019, according to the NYPD’s data.
Felony assault shows a slight decrease of 0.3% year-to-date but saw a 1.5% rise specifically in April 2025. Similarly, auto theft, while down 7.2% year-to-date, experienced a 5% increase last month.
Areas of Concern and Increases
Despite the overall positive trend and year-to-date successes in some areas, the April 2025 report highlighted several categories that saw increases. Murder incidents rose slightly in April, with 28 reported compared to 25 in April 2024. Shooting incidents and victims also saw increases in April compared to the previous year, though year-to-date figures remain favorable relative to recent history.
Transit crime within the subway system increased by 7.8% in April 2025. This rise was primarily driven by increases in robbery and felony assault incidents within the transit environment during the month. Despite this monthly increase, year-to-date transit crime remains down by 7.8%.
Bias-related incidents, investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force, saw a significant rise of 31% in April 2025. Incidents of rape also increased by 30% in April compared to April 2024, signaling concerning trends in these sensitive categories.
NYPD Initiatives and Future Plans
In response to evolving crime patterns and ongoing public safety efforts, the NYPD continues to implement new strategies. In April, the department launched a new Quality of Life Division aimed at addressing less serious but impactful offenses that affect daily life in the city’s neighborhoods. The department also announced plans to introduce a dedicated summer violence reduction plan, anticipating the traditional seasonal increase in certain types of crime.
Commissioner Tisch emphasized the department’s commitment to building on the progress made over the past seven months while acknowledging the challenges in areas seeing increases. The data for April 2025 presents a complex picture of public safety in New York City, highlighting successes in reducing overall major crime and specific categories, while also pointing to persistent or growing concerns in others that will require focused attention.
