Midtown Crime Falls 11 Percent Overall In 2023: Data

MIDTOWN, NY — Like many office workers, some criminals might have decided to work from home in 2023.

Crime in Midtown took a big hit in 2023, with reported crime numbers dropping by double-digits in one of the two precincts that cover the middle of Manhattan.

The newly released year-end NYPD data shows that reported crime in Midtown North, also known as the 18th Precinct and includes Hell's Kitchen and Midtown above 45th Street, has dropped by over eight percent and is now at a statistical level close to the pre-pandemic years.

Compared to 2019, there were only exactly 100 more reported major crimes in 2023 for Midtown North — 2523 versus 2423 — a mere four percent difference.

In Midtown South, which begins at West 29th Street and includes Times Square, Bryant Park and other major tourist areas, crime fell even further in 2023 — by 11.4 percent — compared to 2022.

But crime there remains as high as it's been in a decade, sitting right between where reported major crime numbers were in 2006 and 2007.

Not exactly the return of the bad old days, but compared to the historic lows of roughly the past decade, 2023 still had around 1,000 more reported felonies.

Compared to 2019, when reported crime was at its pre-pandemic lowest for Midtown South — also known as the 14th Precinct — 2023 had around 1,300 more reported felonies.

For recent perspective, that number is still less than half of what the precinct saw in the year 2000, when reported felonies were at a whopping 6,857.

Taking a closer look at 2023, the largest fall for Midtown South was in murder, with only three killings compared to eight in 2022 — a 62.5 percent drop.

That fall was followed by a number of double-digit plummets in rape (39 percent), burglary (38.2) and robbery (31.7).

Smaller drops were also seen in felony assault and auto theft, both by 4.4 percent.

In Midtown North, because the rise in crime was less dramatic, the fall in 2023 was, too. But still, many major crimes also fell by double digits, including rape (59 percent) and burglary (37.4), auto theft (28.4) and robbery (11.6).

Smaller shifts were seen in felony assault, with two fewer incidents giving a 1.1 percent drop, and grand larceny, which fell by 4.2 percent.

But some reported crime numbers got worse for both precincts.

Transit crimes rose in both areas, by 2.6 percent in Midtown South and by 6.8 percent in Midtown North.

Misdemeanor assault also rose by 19.1 percent in Midtown South and 22.9 percent in Midtown North.

But other areas there was more divergence, like how shootings in Midtown South rose by 150 percent, from two shootings to five, but dropped by 33.3 percent in Midtown North, with only four shootings in 2023 compared to 2022's six.

The drop in crime numbers for both precincts outperformed the citywide average, where total major crimes fell by just .32 percent in 2023.

And while the falling crime numbers might be an indicator of a waning post-pandemic crime wave, the numbers are still high when compared to the past decade in Midtown South, at over 23 percent higher than 2010.

For Midtown North, the picture is much better, with crime only at just over 8 percent higher than 2010.

But looking even further back suggests that the city is still experiencing record-low crime statistics.

Compared with 1993, crime in the 14th Precinct is over 75 percent lower, according to the NYPD data, and over 79 percent lower in the 18th Precinct.

And even 2022's record high crime numbers were still around 80 percent lower than they were in 1990 for both Midtown precincts.