Crime Rates Drop 17% on Upper East Side in February Compared to Last Year NYPD Data Reveals
The latest crime data from NYPD highlights a significant reduction in nearly all major crimes this past month compared to the same period in the previous year, with some categories seeing decreases of over 30%.
In the 19th Precinct, the overall rate of major crimes in February plummeted by over 17 percent compared to February of the previous year. This decline includes significant reductions in at least three major felony categories, each decreasing by over 30 percent.
The types of crimes showing notable drops include robbery, assault, and auto theft. Assaults decreased the most, with a 36 percent reduction, as the number of reported incidents fell from 11 in 2023 to just seven in 2024.
Grand larceny also saw a decrease, with the number of incidents dropping from 123 in 2023 to 104 in 2024, representing a 15 percent reduction. Burglaries showed a smaller yet significant decrease of eight percent, and there were no murder cases reported this February, in contrast to one case reported in the same month last year.
Reported incidents of transit crimes have almost halved, going from seven cases to three, a near 60 percent decrease. Additionally, petit larceny (thefts under $1,000) and retail theft in the neighborhood have fallen by 30 percent and nearly 20 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.
While the year-to-date crime data also indicates a decline compared to 2023, the decrease is less dramatic at just over two percent. This rate is still better than the citywide decline of approximately one percent.
Despite these encouraging numbers, not all trends are positive. The 19th Precinct saw an increase in reported sex crimes in February over the previous year. Whereas there were no reported rape cases in February 2023, there were two such incidents reported in 2024. Additionally, there was a 71 percent increase in the category of “other sex crimes,” rising from seven reported cases last year to 12 this year.
However, when putting these numbers in a broader historical context, the current crime rates on the Upper East Side are considerably lower than they were 31 years ago. For example, in 2023, reported crime in the 19th Precinct was down by 31 percent compared to 2001 levels, and more than 47 percent lower than in 1998.
