Here’s why Manhattan has seen a major drop in crime over the past two years

Data provided by the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office reveals a 5% year-to-date decrease in major index crime during the first three months of 2024, as compared to last year.

File photo/Dean Moses

Police and prosecutors in Manhattan are working hard to change the crime narrative in the borough, and their efforts seem to be bearing fruit, according to crime data provided to amNewYork Metro.

Data provided by the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office reveals a 5% year-to-date decrease in major index crime during the first three months of 2024, as compared to last year. Those index crimes — murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, grand larceny, burglary, grand larceny auto — are also down 8% from two years ago. Those numbers outpaced the rest of the city; on Wednesday, the NYPD reported a 5% year-over-year drop in major index crime during the first quarter.

Manhattan has also seen a whopping 43% decrease in shootings during the first quarter of 2024 from the previous year, and a 54% drop in such incidents from two years prior. Homicides are also down big this year, with law enforcement reporting an 11% drop from the first quarter of 2023, and a 16% decline from two years ago. 

The secret to Manhattan’s success, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, has been a cooperative effort with the NYPD in combating crime around the borough. 

““I am proud of the significant progress we have made with the NYPD in driving down nearly all forms of violent crime, including shootings and homicides, throughout Manhattan,” Bragg said in a statement to amNewYork Metro. “There is an outstanding level of partnership between our two agencies that continues to yield significant dividends for Manhattanites. I am also extremely grateful for the deep relationships we have built with community leaders and partners to collaboratively tackle the specific needs of each neighborhood in the borough.”

Over the…