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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 217-05
June 6, 2005

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY ANNOUNCE FBI REPORT SHOWS SAFEST BIG CITY GOT EVEN SAFER IN 2004

New York Drop in Crime Outpaced National Trend in Virtually Every Crime Category in 2004

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today announced that the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Reports for 2004 ranks New York City even lower in overall crime than in 2003. According to the FBI report, the City experienced a 4% drop in overall crime – more than twice the national average drop of 1.8%. Moreover, New York City ranked 221st out of 240 cities across the nation on the total crime index; in 2003, the City ranked 211th out of 230. In 2004, violent crime decreased 6.3% in New York, more than three times the national decline of 1.7%, and New York’s 3.2% decline in property crime exceeded the national decrease of 1.8%. From 2001 to 2004, overall crime in New York City declined 14%, seven times the national decrease of 2% during that period.

“In 2004, the safest big city in America got even safer,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “From fighting graffiti and quality-of-life offenses to preventing the most violent crimes, we have been able to make New York the safest it’s been in decades. 2004 was the 3rd straight year with fewer than 600 homicides and the fewest homicides since 1963. I would like to thank the men and women of the Police Department for their hard work and dedication to keeping our streets safe.”

“The men and women of the NYPD have proven their mettle time and again, driving crime down to what some thought were impossibly low levels,” said Commissioner Kelly.

The City’s murder rate of 7 per 100,000 of population in 2004 was half that of Los Angeles and Chicago which were 13.5 and 15.5 respectively. The murder rate in Philadelphia was three times higher at 22.1. Detroit was seven times higher at 41.5. Over the past four years, the murder rate in New York City declined 12% (2004 compared to 2001) compared to a national decline of only 0.5% during the same period.

In virtually every crime category, New York City’s decline outpaced the national trend in 2004. Murder was down 4.5% compared to 3.6% nationally; rape was down 11.2% compared to a 0.3% decline nationally. Robbery was down 6.2 % compared to approximately half that at 3.6% nationally. Aggravated assault declined 6.2% and only 0.8% nationally. Burglary was down 7.8% and down 1.4% nationally. Motor vehicle theft dropped 10.8% compared to 2.6% nationally.

The FBI’s total crime index ranks cities of 100,000 people or more by the number of crimes per 100,000 people. For 2004, the total crime index in New York City was 2801.6 crimes per 100,000 people. Of the 240 cities with populations of 100,000 or more reporting to the FBI, NYC ranked 221 in total index crime, between San Jose CA and Torrance CA. Out of the nation’s 10 largest cities, New York City ranked 10th with the fewest overall crimes on the total crime index, and had the steepest drop of any of the 10 largest cities. Out of the nation’s 25 largest cities, New York ranked 25th, an improvement of its position of 24th of 25 in 2003.

The following chart shows where New York City ranked in the total crime index for the nation’s 10 largest cities.

Rank
Year End 2004
City
Rate
1
Dallas
8959.7
2
Detroit
7903.7
3
Phoenix
7402.3
4
San Antonio
7346.8
5
Houston
7194.8
6
Las Vegas
5838.0
7
Philadelphia
5470.5
8
Los Angeles
4376.0
9
San Diego
4102.7
10
New York
2801.6

“In 2005, we are on track to improve on what we accomplished last year. Overall crime is down another 6% and is down almost 20% from four years ago. Murder is down 15% this year and 28% from four years ago. We aren’t going to rest on our laurels for even a moment; we are going to keep making the safest big city even safer,” Mayor Bloomberg concluded.







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler / Robert Lawson   (212) 788-2958



GENERAL CONTACT:

Paul Browne   (Police Department)
(646) 610-6700


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