Crime in Queens drops as citywide numbers hit record lows

Crime rates across most categories significantly declined through the first five months of 2026, according to recently released data. File photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

By Noah Powelson

Crime continued to plummet in the World’s Borough in the first five months of the year, according to the city’s police commissioner, who on Wednesday reported record breaking lows for the number of murders, shooting incidents and victims in the city thus far in 2026.

The city saw major reductions in most crime categories across all five boroughs and historic record lows for certain categories, according to the NYPD. Queens, for the most part, followed citywide crime trends but to a smaller degree.

In the first five months of 2026, the five boroughs saw a 10.6 percent decrease in total major crimes compared to the same time period in 2025. Major crimes include, murder, burglary, rape, grand theft auto and other similarly severe offenses.

Murders rates have fallen significantly as 2026 enters its halfway point – dropping by 20.9 percent across the city – which the NYPD said was the lowest level ever recorded for the first five months of any year.

Shootings and the number of shooting victims likewise saw new record lows. There were 247 total shooting incidents in the first five months of 2026, beating last year’s record low of 262 incidents by 5.7 percent. There were also 289 shooting victims in the same time period, a 7.1 percent decrease from last year.

Queens also saw drops in the same categories, but it didn’t break any records.

Overall, there were 128 fewer major crimes committed in Queens compared to the same time last year, about a 1.3 percent decrease. There was one less murder and two fewer shooting incidents compared to the first five months of 2025, as well as 12 fewer victims of shooting incidents.

Major crimes in Queens subways were also down by 21 percent, going from 181 crimes in the first part of 2025 to 141 crimes in 2026.

The largest decrease in Queens was seen in burglaries. So far this year, there have been 848 burglaries committed throughout Queens, 398 fewer than there were in the first five months of 2025, an approximately 32 percent decrease.

“With record lows in murders, shooting incidents, and shooting victims, as well as the safest start to the year in public housing, and continued reductions in subway crime, New Yorkers across every corner of our city are benefitting from a police department that is focused and strategic,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement. “These accomplishments are the result of a precision policing approach that follows the data, goes after guns, takes down gangs, and puts our officers where and when they are needed most.”

But while the crime stats were mostly positive, a few crime categories noticeably stood out.

Felony assaults remained at about the same rate they were last year with just over 2,700. The NYPD said that domestic violence, attacks on police officers and attacks on other government workers are the main drivers of assaults in the city.

The city also saw a 6.7 percent increase in the number of rapes that occurred in the first five months of 2026 compared to the same time last year.

Confirmed hate crimes have also continued to rise, as the city saw an 8.6 percent increase in all hate crimes in the first five months of 2026. Hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers were the most frequent, as they were last year as well, and saw a 6.3 percent increase from 2025. The NYPD said there have been a total of 152 antisemitic hate crimes so far in 2026.

Hate crimes against Muslims and Hispanic New Yorkers also saw noticeable increases, as did the number of hate crimes against someone based on their religion or sexual orientation.

Hate crimes can cover a wide array of actions, ranging from graffiti to violent attacks.

In Queens, there were 62 confirmed hate crimes in the last five months, according to NYPD data. The most confirmed hate crimes were reported in the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills, where 11 hate crimes committed, 4 more than in the same time last year.

The NYPD attributed much of the overall reduction in major crimes in the city to the Summer Violence Reduction Plan implemented in May, as well as its Youth Violence Safety Zones. Both models involve identifying zones in the city where the risk of crime or the danger to young New Yorkers is high, and deploying thousands of police officers into the areas.

The results have become immediately apparent, according to the NYPD, as major crimes and youth major crimes have decreased by 27.9 percent and 52.7 percent respectively in the months since the strategy was put into place.

During a budget hearing before the City Council on May 29, Tisch said that over 1,500 uniformed officers were deployed as part of the Summer Violence Reduction Plan.

“As we have seen over the past several months, this data driven scalpel approach works,” Tisch said during the hearing. “The summer is just getting underway but the early results of this plan are quite promising.”