Officials: City crime hits record lows
New York City officials touted historic declines in crime during the first quarter of 2026 while acknowledging the pain of recent high-profile tragedies that continue to underscore the stakes of public safety.
Speaking at an April 2 briefing at City Hall, Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened with a solemn note, referencing the fatal shooting of a 7-month-old in Williamsburg.
These results are not happening by
Jessica Tisch Police commissioner
“I want to first take a moment to mourn the devastating shooting,” he said, adding, “Every single child in this city deserves to grow up free from the threat of gun violence.”
The mayor also invoked the killing of NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller, calling his loss “unfathomable,” as he pivoted to what he described as encouraging data showing a safer city overall. Diller was shot and killed during a Far Rockaway car stop in 2024.
According to city figures, New York recorded 54 murders in the first three months of 2026 — the lowest total ever for a first quarter and down from the previous record of 60 set in 2018. That marks a 28 percent decline compared to the same period last year.
Officials said the reductions were seen across the boroughs. Murders dropped more than 57 percent in Brooklyn and more than 44 percent in Manhattan. Staten Island recorded no murders so far this year and has gone 178 days without a homicide, the secondlongest streak on record.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the declines reflect a sustained, data-driven strategy.
“These results are not happening by chance,” she said. “They are driven by a precision policing strategy.”
Citywide, police reported 139 shooting incidents in the first quarter, matching last year’s record low. There were 163 shooting victims, also equal to the same period in 2025.
Overall major crime fell 5 percent across the five boroughs, led by a more than 9 percent drop in the Bronx. Manhattan saw a 7 percent decrease, while Staten Island declined 5 percent. Queens and Brooklyn also posted smaller reductions.
Officials attributed the improvements to targeted deployments in violence reduction zones and the removal of illegal firearms. Since Jan. 1, officers have seized more than 1,000 guns, Mamdani said.
In public housing developments, crime dropped 7.2 percent year-to-date. Murders, shootings, shooting victims and robberies all reached record lows in those areas, based on the data.
Simultaneously some categories showed increases. Reported hate crimes rose 11.7 percent, driven largely by a 140 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents, while antisemitic crimes accounted for more than half of all cases.
Tisch also addressed the verdict in the case tied to Diller’s killing, saying
the outcome “landed like a gut punch” for the department, though the defendant was convicted on other charges.
She confirmed that a 21-year-old man, identified as the shooter in the Williamsburg incident, will face murder and attempted murder charges.
“Moments like this deepen our resolve to do everything that we can to stop this from happening again,” Tisch said.
Other crime categories continued downward trends. Robberies fell nearly 8 percent, burglaries dropped 21 percent — reaching the second-lowest level on record — and residential burglaries declined nearly 20 percent.
Retail theft, after a recent surge, declined 20 percent in the first quarter after targeted enforcement strategies. Auto theft and grand larceny both fell by nearly 4 percent.
Transit crime is down about 1 percent compared to last year, which officials said was already the
safest year for the subway system since 2009 outside of the pandemic period.
NYPD Chief of Department Michael LiPetri highlighted the impact of youth safety zones and coordinated enforcement efforts.
“In the winter zones, we have over 100 gun arrests,” he said, noting that officers from multiple units contributed, including newer recruits.
LiPetri added that improvements were also seen in domestic violence response, with a 25-year high in cases where arrests were made or offenders identified within three days.
—
Jeffrey Bessen
Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
NYPD Chief of Department Michael LiPetri, left, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch discussed the latest city crime statistics on April 2.
chance.
News briefs
ASC signs Inwood native Alan Martinez
New York has signed midfielder Alan Martinez to a one-year deal for the 2026 National Premier Soccer League season.
Martinez, an Inwood native, played at Lawrence High School before continuing his career at Long Island University.
“I’m very excited to sign with ASC New York and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the club,” Martinez
wrote in a news release.
“It’s a great environment to continue developing and competing at a high level.”
He joins the Fighting Tomcats with experience in multiple leagues, including stints with Nona FC, the Long Island Rough Riders of USL League Two and New York Braveheart FC in the UPSL Premier Division.
“Alan is a creative and
Public Notices
County Taxes in the Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and the City of Glen Cove and the City of Long Beach, and for the 2026/2027 levy of school taxes in such Towns and in the City of Long Beach. A certified electronic copy of the roll was filed with the Department of
crafty player,” ASC New York head coach John Fitzgerald wrote. “He has a great sense of the game and is dangerous one-onone. He has solid experience, which shows in big moments.”
Martinez developed in the BW Gottschee academy in Middle Village and went on to serve as a captain and All-County selection at Lawrence High School. At LIU, he was named to the Northeast Conference AllRookie Team in 2021 and the NEC Spring 2022 Academic Honor Roll. Over
77 games with the Sharks, he recorded eight goals and 18 assists.
“I’m really impressed with the culture around the team,” Martinez wrote. “There’s a strong sense of professionalism, hard work and unity.”
ASC New York is expected to announce additional signings and its 2026 schedule in the coming weeks. The season begins in May, with home games set to be played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.
— Melissa Berman
Fatal accident in A.B.
According to police, a Long Beach woman was arrested after she fatally struck a bicyclist and fled the scene in Atlantic Beach on March 24 at 7:46 a.m.
Police report that Erin M. Henry, 67, of West Broadway in Long Beach, was driving a 2019 Honda HR-V eastbound on Beech Street near Scott Drive at about when she struck an unidentified male bicyclist. Police said the driver continued eastbound without stopping.
The bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene
by the Long Beach Fire Department. Following an investigation, Nassau County police, in coordination with Long Beach police, located the vehicle and took Henry into custody without incident, police said.
Henry is charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death. She was arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead, on March 25. The investigation is ongoing.
Celebrating Passover
In advance of Passover, children at Gan Chamesh at Chabad of the Five Towns took part in an interactive program that brought the story of the Exodus to life.
Assessment on April 1, 2026. The electronic roll may be examined on public terminals located in the offices of: DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENT NASSAU COUNTY
where the same will remain open for public inspection for fifteen days. Dated this 1st day of April 2026.
JOSEHA A. ADAMO Assessor, Nassau County 159474
Students participated in a themed fair designed to recreate the experience of the Jewish people leaving Egypt, engaging in hands-on activities that illustrated key moments of the holiday. Organizers said the program aimed to provide an immersive way for children to connect with the traditions and meaning of Passover.
The event offered expe-
Taking part in an interactive Passover program.
riential learning opportunities that helped students better understand the story and its significance.
— Melissa Berman
Courtesy ASC
Inwood native Alan Martinez signed a one-year deal with New York for the 2026 National Premier Soccer League season.
— Melissa Berman
Erin M. HEnry
Courtesy Keri Naiman
High
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THow much extra money does a home cost these days?
Q. I saw a billboard and several TV commercials for something called “Let Them Build, NY,” and was wondering what you could tell me about it. The commercial said that there is an extra $82,000 spent on housing, per home, just due to government red tape. Is this true, and is anything being done about it?
A. There is plenty of finger-pointing in the construction industry, on top of the current cost increases due to tariffs, war and subsequent delivery costs due to higher fuel prices. But long before there were these current issues, government officials began, at every level, to either increase enforcement of existing regulations or to add regulations on top of what was already fairly complicated and burdensome.
Many years ago I was very active in the American Institute of Architects, to the point of being vice president of the Long Island chapter. I left them when I realized that they did not want to have the backbone to challenge, as a professional group, the regulations that cause construction and building design to become out of reach for a large segment of our population. In the years following, I daily encountered the thousands of building owners who never even attempted to comply with building regulations, basically skirting the entire permit process altogether because of the added expense.
The first and foremost expense is caused by the delays in getting through the approval process. There are so many reasons for the slowdown that it will take several columns, at 500 words apiece, to get through the long list of problems. If you ask a government official, they will point to the design professionals who “just can’t seem to get the regulations right” in their drawing submissions. I have often listened as officials complained to me about inadequate drawings being submitted. In all fairness, it is a two-way street, because the communications from officials back to the architects and engineers is often incoherent or incomplete.
When a plans examiner uses phrases like “demonstrate compliance” or “incomplete submission,” they are contributing to the problem, not solving it. Instead of pointing to specific sections of code and explaining the very specific problem, they communicate in generalities that are useless and cause a lot of extra work and discussion among the people trying to move a project forward. The phrase “If you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem” applies here.
I remember when a plans examiner would mark up and discuss specific drawings, and some even went the extra mile and pulled out their code books. In the era of computers, the internet and the “portal,” building officials often abbreviate and confuse both the professional and the customer by not pointing out that “the wording on Sheet 3 in the upper right-hand corner should state…” The lack of specifics creates lots of back-and-forth, delays and cost to the owner for the delays. Rent and taxes still need to be paid during the delays.
More to follow.
© 2026 Monte Leeper
Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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