Murders Rise, But NYC Major Crimes Drop Overall In November: NYPD

NEW YORK CITY — New York City became ever-so-slightly safer in November even as murders rose, according to newly released NYPD crime statistics.

Major crimes fell 1.2 percent in November compared to the same month last year, the data shows.

The main exception to this overall crime decline was seen with murders, which had increased 20 percent compared to November 2021, the statistics show. There were 30 murders last month and 25 at the same point a year ago.

But, still, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said officers and other police workers have brought about "substantial, tangible progress" toward public safety goals.

"Their work has yielded positive results, with major crime down in the month of November 2022 compared to the same period last year," she said in a statement.

Crime has been a persistent issue throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Eric Adams had campaigned on the issue and spent much of his mayoralty highlighting public safety concerns — to such a point that many progressive critics accused him of fearmongering.

NYPD data has consistently shown crime is higher than pre-pandemic levels, but still far below where it stood 20 years ago or more.

The latest NYPD statistics hint that some crime concerns — such as on the subway — aren't necessarily reflected in what police are recording.

Transit crimes were down 12.8 percent compared to November 2021, with 205 recorded this year. There were 235 transit crimes the same month last year, data shows.

Shooting incidents also fell nearly 33 percent, according to the data.