For the past quarter century, New York was the safest big city in America. Maybe it still is, but we no longer feel that way. What has changed?
Rising crime gets most attention when it comes to negative perceptions about the safety of the city. Hardly a day passes without headlines featuring tragic shootings, smash and grab robberies, brazen shoplifting, senseless hate crimes, and violence against subway riders and transit workers.
Statistics released last week by the mayor and NYPD support the argument that the criminal justice reforms enacted by the state in 2019 have contributed to increased recidivist offenses by a relatively small number of repeat offenders.
