Manhattan Crime Decoded: What the Latest NYPD Data Actually Means for Residents (May 2026)

NYPD CompStat Vol. 33 No. 22 (week of May 25–31, 2026) shows Manhattan crime down roughly 8% year-over-year. Robbery is off nearly 30% in Manhattan South. But felony assault is creeping up in Manhattan North, and hate crimes are rising above 14th Street. Here is what each category means for how you move through the borough.

What Manhattan’s Crime Numbers Actually Mean Right Now — A Decoded Breakdown

If you live or work in Manhattan and you’ve been wondering whether the borough is getting safer or more dangerous, the most recent NYPD CompStat report — covering the week of May 25 through May 31, 2026 — gives us a detailed picture. But raw numbers don’t tell you what to do with your day. This breakdown translates the data into the questions residents actually ask: Where is crime up? Where is it down? What does it mean for how you move through the borough?

Manhattan is divided into two patrol boroughs: Manhattan South (roughly 14th Street and below — covering neighborhoods like Midtown, the Lower East Side, Chelsea, and the Financial District) and Manhattan North (14th Street and above — covering Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and the Upper East and West Sides). Their crime profiles are distinct, and residents in each zone should pay attention to different trends.

The Bottom Line First: Overall Crime Is Down Significantly

Combining both patrol boroughs, Manhattan has logged 11,179 major felony complaints year-to-date through May 31, 2026 — compared to 12,130 at the same point in 2025. That’s a roughly 7.8 percent drop year-over-year, and it continues a multi-year trend of declining crime in Manhattan relative to the post-pandemic peak years of 2021–2022.

Over the past 28 days, Manhattan South recorded 1,182 major felony complaints against 1,325 in the same period last year — down 10.8 percent. Manhattan North recorded 940 versus 1,086 — down 13.4 percent. Both sectors are moving in the same direction at nearly identical rates, which suggests borough-wide dynamics rather than isolated neighborhood swings.

For residents: the borough as a whole is measurably safer by NYPD-reported crime metrics than it was at this point in 2025. That doesn’t mean every neighborhood or every crime type is trending the same way — and that’s where the detail matters.

What Each Crime Category Means — Decoded

Robbery (Muggings and Street Crime): Down Sharply

Robbery — in plain English, being approached and having something taken from you by force or threat of force — is down significantly in both sectors. Manhattan South recorded 476 robbery complaints year-to-date versus 664 last year, a 28.3 percent drop. Manhattan North recorded 560 versus 694, down 19.3 percent.

Over the most recent 28-day window, Manhattan South saw 100 robberies versus 143 last year (down 30.1 percent), and Manhattan North saw 103 versus 134 (down 23.1 percent). This is one of the strongest improving categories in Manhattan right now, and it’s the category most directly felt by people on the street.

For residents: the risk of a street mugging in Manhattan is at its lowest point in several years relative to where it was. That said, robbery remains concentrated in high-foot-traffic areas — midtown transit hubs, tourist corridors, and nightlife districts — so awareness in those zones is still warranted.

Grand Larceny (Theft Without Force): Still Down, But Slowing

Grand larceny — theft of property valued over $1,000, which includes pickpocketing, phone snatches, and car break-ins — is the highest-volume major felony in Manhattan by a wide margin. Manhattan South recorded 3,786 year-to-date versus 4,039 last year, down 6.3 percent. Manhattan North recorded 2,292 versus 2,444, down 6.2 percent.

The 28-day trend tells a similar story: Manhattan South down 11.8 percent, Manhattan North down 13.0 percent. This is positive, but grand larceny remains the crime most likely to affect any given Manhattan resident. The volume — nearly 6,100 incidents across both sectors in just five months — means it’s not abstract. Phone theft and bag snatching, in particular, tend to track closely with these figures.

For residents: don’t leave bags unattended, keep your phone in your pocket on the subway platform, and be aware in crowded tourist areas. The trend is good; the volume is still high.

Felony Assault (Serious Physical Altercations): Mixed Picture

Felony assault — a physical attack serious enough to require medical attention or involving a weapon — tells a more complicated story. Manhattan South is up 2.7 percent year-to-date (982 versus 956 last year), while Manhattan North is up 5.6 percent (1,251 versus 1,185).

Look at just the most recent week: Manhattan North recorded 79 felony assaults against 60 in the same week last year — a 31.7 percent spike. That’s a single-week figure and can reflect statistical noise, but it’s worth noting. Manhattan South’s weekly figure was down 13 percent in the same period, which suggests the borough-wide picture is being pulled in different directions.

The 28-day figures are less alarming: Manhattan South up 12.1 percent and Manhattan North up 9.7 percent, which are elevated but not dramatic. Felony assault tends to cluster around late-night hours and known conflict hotspots rather than affecting random pedestrians, but it’s the one category that hasn’t followed the overall downward trend this year.

For residents: if you frequent nightlife areas in Harlem or Washington Heights late at night, this is the category to watch. The absolute numbers are lower than 2022 and 2023 peaks, but the year-over-year direction has reversed.

Burglary (Break-Ins at Home or Business): Down Sharply

Burglary — someone entering your home, apartment, or business without permission to steal — is one of the clearest good-news stories in this report. Manhattan South is down 11.6 percent year-to-date (751 versus 850 last year). Manhattan North is down 11.2 percent (554 versus 624).

Over 28 days: Manhattan South down 9.5 percent, Manhattan North down 24.1 percent. The weekly figures for both sectors are also down. Burglary had spiked in 2022 and 2023 driven partly by commercial break-ins and opportunistic residential entries, and that trend has clearly reversed.

For residents: the risk of a break-in is meaningfully lower than it was one and two years ago. Standard precautions — locked windows, secure building entry, knowing your neighbors — remain the best defense, but the baseline risk is down.

Grand Larceny Auto (Car Theft): Down, but Unevenly

Car theft — categorized as Grand Larceny Auto (GLA) — is down significantly in both sectors. Manhattan South: 109 year-to-date versus 128 last year, down 14.8 percent. Manhattan North: 261 versus 351, down 25.6 percent.

This continues a correction from the 2021–2023 Kia/Hyundai theft wave that pushed GLA numbers up sharply across the city. Newer vehicle security mandates and targeted NYPD enforcement appear to have had an effect. Manhattan North — which has higher rates of on-street parking — shows the steeper improvement.

For residents: if you have a car parked on the street in upper Manhattan, the risk is lower than it was, but GLA remains higher than pre-pandemic levels citywide. Steering wheel locks and avoiding overnight street parking in known high-theft blocks remain practical steps.

Rape: Contradictory Signals — Read Carefully

This category requires careful interpretation. Manhattan South shows a 27.7 percent year-to-date decline (68 versus 94), while Manhattan North shows a 2.5 percent decline (78 versus 80) — both down. However, the most recent single week shows Manhattan South up 66.7 percent (5 versus 3) and Manhattan North up 33.3 percent (4 versus 3). Single-week figures in low-volume crime categories swing dramatically based on just a few additional cases and are not reliable trend indicators.

The 28-day figures are more meaningful: Manhattan South down 25 percent, Manhattan North up 9.1 percent. The year-to-date picture — which smooths out weekly volatility — shows both sectors essentially flat to slightly down versus 2025.

For residents: this is a category where the NYPD notes that UCR (federal reporting standard) and NYSPL (New York State) definitions differ. The report also tracks “other sex crimes” separately. The trend over a meaningful sample period is not alarming, but single-week spikes in any week can reflect delayed reporting rather than a sudden surge in incidents.

Two Categories Worth a Closer Watch

Hate Crimes: Up in Manhattan North

Hate crimes — offenses motivated by bias against a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics — are up in Manhattan North. Year-to-date: 44 complaints versus 30 last year, a 46.7 percent increase. The 28-day figure shows 8 versus 5, up 60 percent.

Manhattan South is showing the opposite: down 3.8 percent year-to-date (50 versus 52), with the most recent week down 50 percent (1 versus 2). The divergence between the two sectors is notable. Upper Manhattan — including neighborhoods with significant Jewish, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities — accounts for the bulk of the increase. These numbers remain relatively small in absolute terms but the directional trend warrants attention.

For residents: if you or your community have been affected by bias incidents in upper Manhattan, reporting to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force (646-610-5267) is the appropriate channel. Every report matters for accurate tracking of the trend.

Shooting Incidents: Up in Manhattan North This Week

Shooting incidents — defined as incidents where a firearm is discharged — are a key indicator of violent crime severity. Year-to-date, Manhattan North has 30 shooting incidents (versus 28 last year, up 7.1 percent) and 35 shooting victims (versus 31, up 12.9 percent). Manhattan South is down: 8 incidents versus 5 last year, but the year-to-date 2-year trend shows a 25 percent improvement.

The most recent week showed a spike in Manhattan North: 4 shooting victims and 2 incidents in a single week, compared to 1 victim and 1 incident in the same week last year. One week is not a trend, but shootings are the category where a single incident can represent an inflection point worth watching.

For residents in upper Manhattan: shootings remain concentrated in specific blocks and times of day, not distributed evenly across the area. The NYPD’s ShotSpotter deployment in northern precincts means most incidents are logged within seconds of occurring.

Historical Context: How Far Manhattan Has Come

It’s easy to lose perspective when reading week-to-week crime reports. The CompStat data includes a historical snapshot that’s worth understanding.

In 1990, Manhattan North alone recorded 379 murders in a single year. In 2025, the full-year figure was 31 — a 91.8 percent reduction over 35 years. In Manhattan South, robberies totaled 14,866 in 1990. In 2025: 1,614 — an 89.1 percent reduction.

These aren’t cherry-picked figures — they represent the full arc of one of the most dramatic crime declines of any major city in the world. When residents ask “is Manhattan safe?” the honest baseline answer, grounded in these numbers, is: safer than it has been at virtually any point in the last half-century, even accounting for the post-pandemic uptick years.

That doesn’t mean every block is equally safe, or that crime doesn’t happen — it clearly does. But it means the frame of reference matters. A 6 percent year-to-date decline on top of historically low levels is genuinely significant progress, not a statistical rounding error.

What to Actually Do With This Information

Understanding the data is step one. Here’s how residents can use it practically:

Check your specific precinct. The NYPD publishes individual precinct-level CompStat reports at nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/crime-statistics/borough-and-precinct-crime-stats.page. Manhattan’s precincts include the 1st through 34th, Midtown North and South. Your precinct’s numbers may look very different from the borough aggregate.

Use CompStat 2.0 for map-level data. The NYPD’s interactive tool at compstat.nypdonline.org lets you see crime incidents by type, location, and time period — mapped to specific blocks. This is the most useful tool for understanding your immediate neighborhood.

Report everything. Crime statistics are only as accurate as reporting rates. If you experience or witness a crime and don’t report it, that incident is invisible to CompStat. Call 911 for emergencies, 311 for non-emergencies, or file a report online at nyc.gov.

Context matters more than single weeks. If you see a headline about a spike in one week, check the 28-day and year-to-date figures before drawing conclusions. Single-week figures — especially in low-volume categories — can reflect delayed reporting, seasonal patterns, or statistical noise rather than a genuine surge.