Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
Marilyn Mode (212) 374-6700 (NYPD)
"Over the past four-and-a-half years, New York City has been transformed from the nation's crime capital to the safest large city in the United States," Mayor Giuliani said. "As a result, New Yorkers in every neighborhood feel safer in their homes and in their communities. Police Commissioner Safir and I want to thank the men and women of the Department for their continued commitment to reducing crime and for significantly improving the quality of life in all our City's neighborhoods. I would also like to acknowledge the many community leaders and groups who have worked closely with the Police Department to make this historic reduction possible.
"Last year, we launched a major initiative designed to remove drugs from our streets, playgrounds and neighborhoods," the Mayor continued. "The results have been astonishing. We have been able to reduce crime to record levels. The murder rate is at a three-decade low -- in several precincts this year there have been no murders. The men and women of the Police Department are committed to driving drugs out of our communities and their commitment will result in even further historic reductions."
"Today's statistics are a reflection of every officer's dedication to reducing crime and returning our City's neighborhoods to all New Yorkers," said Police Commissioner Howard Safir. "Relentless, strategic policing, applying business principles to crime reduction, having information available to us on a daily basis, and particularly the implementation of nine anti-drug initiatives have all contributed to this significant reduction. By closely tracking crime trends, we know where crime is taking place and we can immediately redeploy our resources."
Preliminary statistics complied though the Department's COMPSTAT reporting system show a dramatic citywide decreases:
| Category | 1993 vs. 1998 | 1997 vs. 1998 |
| Murder | -69.3 percent | -24.7 percent |
| Rape | -16.6 percent | +0.6 percent |
| Roberry | -54.9 percent | -12 percent |
| Felonious Assault | -29.2 percent | -4.78 percent |
| Burglary | -50.7 percent | -10.5 percent |
| Grand Larceny | -39.1 percent | -8.1 percent |
| Auto Theft | -59.3 percent | -12.1 percent |
Preliminary statistics for 1998 also reveal that the number of shooting victims and incidents have continued to decline:
| Category | 1993 vs. 1998 | 1997 vs. 1998 |
| Shooting Victims | -66.3 percent | -13.3 percent |
| Shoooting Incidents | -67.4 percent | -13 percent |
Each borough also experienced significant decreases:
| Category | 1993 vs. 1998 | 1997 vs.1998 |
| Manhattan South | -46.9 percent | -8.7 percent |
| Manhattan North | -51.3 percent | -9.6 percent |
| Bronx | -49.2 percent | -11.8 percent |
| Brooklyn South | -48.3 percent | -7.2 percent |
| Brooklyn North | -50.8 percent | -7.9 percent |
| Queens South | -48.8 percent | -10.3 percent |
| Queens North | -50.1 percent | -9.3 percent |
| Staten Island | -56 percent | -25.9 percent |