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Why NYC murders and shootings fell so sharply — and how we can slash other crimes, too

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The NYPD this month announced the fewest shootings and murders recorded through July in New York City’s history.

This is a remarkable accomplishment for a city that seemed on the verge of a major backslide after shootings and murders spiked in 2020 and 2021.

The striking thing, though, is that New York’s broader crime picture has not improved nearly as dramatically.

The contrast becomes more pronounced when one compares today’s crime levels with the pre-pandemic era: Many offenses remain considerably more prevalent than in 2019, even as murders and shootings have fallen to historic lows.

The most likely explanation: The NYPD has focused its limited resources on the worst and most prolific offenders, and gotten the biggest return on its investment.

And boosting those resources — i.e., expanding the rank-and-file — could extend those gains to less serious crimes.

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To be sure, many other “major crime” categories (robbery, burglary, grand larceny) have also seen year-to-date declines.

But relative to what the city experienced through Aug.16, 2019, most major crime categories are still up.

That’s not what one would expect to see over a period in which........

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