New York City Has Become Safer While Misdemeanor Arrests Have Fallen

By New York City Mayor’s Office

Under the leadership of Mayor de Blasio and the brave men and women of the NYPD, major crime in New York City has fallen to its lowest-levels of the modern era. At the same time, misdemeanor arrests in New York City are at their lowest levels in over 20 years:

For many years, especially during the height of the stop-and-frisk era, New Yorkers were told that the only way to keep the city safe was through a very aggressive, high-intensity approach to policing — with excessive stop and frisks and a high level of arrests.

In fact, the exact opposite was true. Under the de Blasio Administration, misdemeanor arrests have fallen by 27%, while major crime has fallen by 9%. And, last year, misdemeanor arrests were lower than at any point since 1995 under the Giuliani and Bloomberg Administrations.

New York City has entered a new era of neighborhood policing — one that is deeply communicative with communities, with officers trained to engage residents, establish relationships, and build trust to fight crime. As the NYPD continues to drive down crime to historic lows, increase gun seizures, and strengthen relationships with the people we serve, New York City is proving that decreasing crime isn’t dependent on an over-reliance on misdemeanor arrests.