Crime levels dropped citywide in 2007

This year marks the 17th straight year in which major felony crime has declined citywide.
Statistically, the city is on course to have fewer than 500 homicides in 2007, surpassing all records for which there is comparable information. The last year for which comparable data on homicide is available is 1963, when there were 548 homicides.
Also included in the murder decline was another record: a 36 percent decrease in domestic violence murders. The decrease coincided with an intensive, five-year effort the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has undertaken to prevent domestic violence.
Additionally, there has been a 13 percent decrease in crime in the subway system, despite record ridership. In 1990, there was an average of 48 major crimes per day in the transit system while today there is an average of only six.
“When I came into office, many believed it was impossible to drive crime, particularly murders, down any further,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Yet, beginning in 2002, crime declined steadily and murders fell below 600 annually for the first time in 40 years. That happened again in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Now, in 2007, we have reached another milestone, murders could potentially fall below 500 — and that includes a decrease in random murders where victims don’t know the perpetrators.”