New York City saw a jaw-dropping 206% spike in felony assault busts for repeat offenders over the past eight years, according to new crime statistics.

NYPD officers collared 263 criminals who have previously been arrested three or more times for felony assault this year, up 205.6% from the same period in 2018, when 86 career criminals were arrested, the figures released by the department Thursday show.

Furious officials blame the Democrat-led Big Apple’s soft-on-crime criminal justice system — which operates as a “turnstile” allowing violent offenders back out to wreak havoc on the streets.

Surveillance video obtained by the Post shows Rhamell Burke allegedly pushing Ross Falzone down the subway stairs. Obtained by NY Post

Burke — who danced on Broadway– appeared in court on May 14, 2026 for fatally shoving a 76-year-old retired teacher down Manhattan subway stairs. Steven Hirsch for NY Post

“This is a direct byproduct of our turnstile justice system, and of the antisemitism that is being allowed to fester throughout this city,” Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola raged to The Post.  

“The same people are continuing to victimize New Yorkers and getting little more than a slap on the wrist when they get arrested,” she said.

In one of the most disturbing cases this year, a serial offender — who had just walked out of the Bellevue Hospital psych ward after a confrontation with police — allegedly shoved teacher Ross Falzone, 76, to his death down Manhattan subway steps in May.

Rhamell Burke, a 32-year-old former Broadway dancer, had been arrested four times since February, including for allegedly stalking and attacking a 23-year-old woman on the subway in April.

Just hours before Burke allegedly pushed Falzone, causing him to fatally strike his head, the madman was taken to the hospital as an “emotionally disturbed” person by police after acting erratically in a local precinct.

Mayor Mamdani and NYC police commissioner Jessica Tisch attend a press conference on August 31, 2025, in Times Square. William C Lopez/NYPost

He was released from the hospital an hour later.

Falzone’s cousin, Joseph Sylvester, told The Post on Wednesday that cashless bail — introduced as a part of New York’s controversial, criminal-friendly bail reform in 2019 — “has to change.”

“They should definitely change that law and, of course, the mental health system is broken too,” said Sylvester, who attended Burke’s arraignment hearing in Manhattan in June.

“It makes no sense,” that Burke should have been out on the streets, Sylvester said, “particularly with the previous offenses he had.”

The Post’s cover on the tragic death of Ross Falzone.

“It makes no sense to just keep letting him out, and then the hospital lets him out, says he’s fine, and in less than an hour — apparently he wasn’t fine,” Sylvester said.

A high-ranking NYPD official also fumed to The Post at the time that Falzone’s senseless killing represents a “complete collapse” of City Hall’s approach to mental health and repeat offenders.

Overall, felony assaults increased 3.1% in August and 0.7% this year, compared to last year — with 20,200 recorded so far in 2026 compared to 2,065 in 2025, according to the stats.

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New York City police otherwise celebrated several record lows in crime, including the safest summer in the department’s recorded history.

Over the first eight months of this year, the city has seen record low shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders, the department said.

So far in 2026, there have been 442 shootings, which is 47 fewer than the previous record low of 489 set in 2025, according to the latest stats.

There were 538 shooting victims reported, 73 fewer than the previous record low of 611 set in 2025, and there were 173 murders, 18 fewer than the previous record low of 191 set in 2017. 

Police have also been targeting public housing throughout the five boroughs. In August, there were zero murders at any of the city’s housing facilities. 

The NYPD also boasted record-low violent crime in the subway system with zero shooting incidents, shooting victims, murders, or rapes for the month of August.