They’re kicking off the year with optimism, but there’s a noticeable absence of acknowledgment.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the new Mayor Zoran Mamdani declared on Tuesday that gun violence in New York City hit its lowest recorded level in 2025.
However, their announcement notably omits any mention of former Mayor Eric Adams, who, alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul, oversaw a significant drop in mass shootings and the number of shooting victims.
“These are not small improvements,” Tisch remarked regarding the NYPD data. “They represent historic milestones.”
Last year, there were 688 mass shootings, marking a 10% increase from the previous record set in 2018, according to the data available.
Officials pointed out that New York’s mass shooting count was lower than that of Chicago and Philadelphia, which reported 1,400 and 825 incidents, respectively, despite having much smaller populations.
The total number of shooting victims also declined to 856, a 5% drop compared to the record set in 2018, based on the data.
In fact, when compared to 2024, the decline is quite stark—247 more individuals were shot that year, equating to a 22% increase.
December 2025 ended with the fewest shootings and victims recorded in a single month since the NYPD begun tracking such statistics.
“New York City saw 1,021 fewer shooting victims in 2025 compared to 2021,” Tisch noted.
“This historic drop in shootings and injuries wasn’t limited to one area but spanned all five boroughs.”
Tisch also highlighted that the subway system is projected to be the safest it has been in 16 years, barring the pandemic, due to a decrease in crime related to public transit.
The overall crime rate in 2025 continued a decline seen after an alarming rise during the pandemic years.
This positive news came in the wake of Adams’ tumultuous tenure marked by various scandals.
Mamdani has had to reassure citizens during his campaign that he wouldn’t squander resources, especially in light of his earlier critical remarks about the police.
Despite differing policies, Mamdani opted to retain Tisch as commissioner.
While both officials refrained from explicitly naming Adams, they commended the crime-fighting methods established during his administration.
“These statistics and achievements deserve recognition and, as the Secretary mentioned, should serve as a foundation for further improvement because our goal is to enhance safety for all New Yorkers,” Mamdani expressed.
Tisch plans to meet with Mamdani to discuss future strategies but anticipates no significant shifts.
“We’re always seeking ways to refine our methods,” she stated. “But it’s clear our approach to violent crime—particularly pertaining to New York City and subway safety—has yielded significant outcomes. At this point, changing that seems unthinkable.”
Major metro crimes dropped by 4% last year compared to 2024, with robberies declining by 12.5% and shootings seeing a dramatic drop of 62.5%.
Most felonies showed a downward trend, highlighted by a 20% reduction in homicides.
However, there was a 16% increase in rape cases, which Tisch attributes to changes in the legal definition of the offense. Similarly, felony assaults rose slightly by 0.4%, according to the data.
