Serious crime — including in the subway system — dropped again in February, an indication, police suggest, that safer days are ahead.
“We are very encouraged about the trends that we are seeing,” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said on NY1 Friday morning. “And we’re going to continue to do everything we can to continue to drive down those numbers.”
There were 519 fewer of the seven felonies that comprise the crime rate compared to last February.
Murders dropped 28% citywide last month, from 36 homicides to 26, according to the stats. Shootings fell 15%, from 75 to 64, and major crime in the transit system came down 9%, from 189 to 169, the NYPD said.
Crime in the subway had been falling since late October when another wave of cops was assigned to the beleaguered system.
Overall, felony crime dipped 6%, with rapes coming down 22%, burglaries 15% and robberies 11%, according to the police.
The recent decreases follow nearly three years, starting in early 2020, of a surge in crime, particularly in shootings.
Last February, the NYPD assigned 1,000 more cops to the subway system and promised a renewed focus on quality-of-life offenses, with services provided for the homeless and mentally ill.
A month later, it established the Neighborhood Safety Unit, tasking its officers with getting guns off the street, and announced a renewed focus on quality of life infractions.
Police have said the unit has helped tamp down gun violence in various neighborhoods, though the crime rate is still up significantly compared to 2019.