About local crime
Analyzing, deciphering and understanding the intricacies of one’s local crime landscape empowers individuals to make informed decisions, contribute to community safety initiatives and foster a sense of shared vigilance. Just as assessing the severity of natural hazards provides insights into preparedness and potential response measures, so does measuring the relative magnitude of local crimes provide a nuanced perspective on safety in a specific neighborhood.
A majority of Americans see news about local property crime (45%), drug-related crime (37%), and violent crime (32%). Black Americans are more likely than those in other racial groups to say they see this kind of news at least weekly, while older adults are more likely than younger ones to report seeing the same.
Overall, crime rates are decreasing. Grand larceny auto and robbery are declining, while burglary, assault, UCR rape, and other sex crimes are increasing. Homicides, meanwhile, are down significantly from the pre-pandemic average, but remain higher than in any year prior to 2023. In fact, the likelihood of being killed by gunfire in New York City is still less than that of dying from high blood pressure or getting cancer, and far less than that of being struck by a car.
Various websites have been developed to allow people to research crime statistics on their local level, including the NYPD’s CompStat page and the more advanced digital version, CompStat 2.0. These tools allow people to search by crime type, date range or address and filter by a variety of characteristics. They also include the ability to compare local crime rates with broader city or statewide data, providing a more informed and comprehensive view of the safety situation in one’s community.
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