Crime is down citywide, but mostly flat in Queens |

The NYPD announced July 2 that New York City saw the fewest shootings and murders in recorded history during the first half of 2026.

Per department data from January to June, murders fell nearly 25 percent compared to last year, from 162 to 122. That number broke a previous record low of 136 murders set in 2017, the NYPD said.

There also were 15 fewer shootings in the first half of this year compared to last, a 4.5 percent decrease. This year’s 322 incidents beat the 2018 and 2025 record of 337.

“These numbers reflect focused enforcement, targeted deployments, and noble police work,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a press release. “New Yorkers owe their NYPD officers a debt of gratitude for their extraordinary service to our city.”

Queens’ stats through June 28 on murders and shootings were largely consistent with the citywide trend. Murders in Queens dropped about 3.4 percent, with 28 this year compared to last year’s 29. But Patrol Borough Queens South, which has the NYPD’s 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 105th, 106th, 107th, 113th and 116th precincts, saw 16 murders in 2026 compared to last year’s 15. Queens North, which includes the 104th, 108th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, 114th and 115th precincts, had 12 in 2026 and 14 the year prior.

Shootings across the borough remained flat, with 42 recorded through June 28 both this year and last.

Major crime in the city dropped 5.8 percent from January to June, with 3,424 fewer crimes than the first half of 2025. Through June 28, Queens had recorded nine more crimes than the year prior, with 12,236 in 2026 compared to 12,227 in 2025.

Burglaries plummeted throughout Queens in 2026, falling 28.9 percent compared to 2025. They were down in all five boroughs and declined 15.8 percent citywide. The NYPD said burglaries are at the lowest level since 2019, and that progress is driven by its new Precision Task Force approach.

Auto theft declined 9.7 percent across the five boroughs, but rose about 5.6 percent across Queens. Grand larcenies auto fell 8.4 percent in Queens South and jumped 17.3 percent — from 1,094 last year to 1,283 in 2026 — in Queens North.

Grand larcenies also spiked in Queens, but declined in the city as a whole. They were down 4.2 percent across the five boroughs, but increased 5.3 percent in Queens.

Robberies also dropped 12 percent citywide since last year, but rose about 5.1 percent across Queens.

Felony assaults in the city have been virtually flat so far this year compared to last, the NYPD said. Queens overall saw a marginal decrease, with a 6 percent drop in Queens North and 5.7 percent rise in Queens South.

Although crime is mostly down in the city, rape is up 5.8 percent since this time last year. The NYPD noted that legislative changes from 2024 broadened the state’s legal definition of rape to include other forms of sexual assault, and the spike is “driven in significant part” by reports of past crimes — 26 percent of all rapes reported in 2026 took place in years prior. Rape increased 14.2 percent in Queens.

Hate crimes also are on the rise. Officers saw 23 more confirmed incidents this year than last, a 7.7 percent increase from 299 to 322. More than half of the recorded hate crimes this year were antisemitic, even though Jewish people make up just 10 percent of the city’s population, per the NYPD.

Hate crimes in Queens jumped 13.3 percent so far this year, with 68 recorded incidents compared to last year’s 60. Queens South recorded 26 hate crimes compared to last year’s 17. Queens North saw just one less incident than last year’s 43.