Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today announced that New York City continues to reduce overall crime to levels not seen in decades and remains the safest big city in America according to FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 2004.  According to the report, the City experienced a 4% drop in overall crime from 2003 to 2004 compared to the national drop of just 1.1%, and a 14% drop from 2001 to 2004 compared to the national drop of just 1.5%.  New York City is responsible for 20% of the entire nation's decline in crime since 2001.

"Our goal hasn't been just to keep New York City America's safest big city, it's been to make America's safest city even safer," said Mayor Bloomberg.  "Today's report by the FBI shows we have done just that. Not only do our decreases outpace the nation's, they do so by a factor of almost ten since 2001.  I want to thank the brave men and women of the NYPD for this remarkable achievement, while also dealing with the constant threat of terrorism."

"The men and women of the NYPD rose to the occasion and did what some said was impossible and drove crime down to new record lows," said Commissioner Kelly.

New York City's decline in overall crime of 4% accounted for 67% of the statewide reduction in overall crime of 2.7% in 2004, and 74% of the statewide reduction in overall crime of 8.9% from 2001-2004.  In 2004, violent crime went down 6.3% in the City, compared to national decline of 1.2%, and property crime went down 3.2% down in the City, compared to national decline of 1.1%.

For 2004, the total crime index in New York City was 2,800.5 crimes per 100,000 people.  Out of the 240 cities with a population of 100,000 or more that reported to the FBI, New York City now ranks 222 between Fontana, California and Port St. Lucie, Florida.  Out of the nation's 10 and 25 largest cities, New York City ranked the safest with the fewest overall crimes on the total crime index.

% Change from 2003 - 2004

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