Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Major crimes up, but NYPD response times slower: Mayor’s office
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Samantha Max
Published Sep 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York City’s public safety system is struggling to recalibrate after more than two years of upheaval from the COVID-19 pandemic, new data contained in a 500-page report released Friday by the mayor’s office show. Major crimes are up, 911 response times are slower and civilian complaints against police are languishing in a growing backlog, according to the report.
But while the annual report – which reviews the performances of city agencies over a fiscal year, running from July through June the next year – highlights multiple challenges facing police and oversight officials in the wake of the pandemic, it also offers reasons for optimism as city operations begin to normalize. Here are some key takeaways:
Major felony crime increased 26% between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022
- Forcible rape went up 63% (980 to 1,597)
- Robberies went up 24% (13,030 to 16,178)
- Felonious assaults increased by 17% (8,324 to 10,104)
- Grand larceny jumped 38% (35,735 to 49,227)
- Grand larceny auto increased by 25 (9,925 to 12,448)
- Major felonies in the transit system went up by 51% (1,452 to 2,185)
- Hate crimes increased by 35% (424 to 573)
The outlier in this case is murders, which decreased by 5% last fiscal year. The report also notes an increase in NYPD enforcement efforts during that time, with a 23% jump in major felony arrests and 28% jump for juvenile major felony arrests.
911 response times went up
- The average time it took officers to respond to a crime in progress call jumped 12%, from 11:40 to 12:44
- 9% increase for responses to critical crimes in progress, from 7:52 to 8:26
- Call volume for crimes in progress increased by 10%, from 255,632 to 280,489
The report blames the slower response times on increased traffic that continued to tick up after pandemic restrictions eased, making it more difficult to get to the scene quickly.
NYPD focused more on quality of life violations in fiscal year 2022 — a major priority for Mayor Eric Adams
- 17% overall increase in quality of life summonses (57,876 to 67,408)
- 68% increase in unreasonable noise summonses (932 to 1,568)
- 150% increase in graffiti summonses (4 to 10)
- 68% increase in transit summonses (52,315 to 88,112)
Traffic fatalities went down 4%
- Pedestrian deaths dropped 8% (123 to 113)
- Bicyclist deaths dropped 28% (25 to 18)
- Motorcyclist fatalities fell 14% (54 to 45)
- Passenger deaths decreased by 16% (32 to 27)
- Moving violation summonses increased 18% (307,783 to 361,357)
Still far from the goals of Vision Zero, fiscal year 2022 saw 263 traffic fatalities, slightly down from the previous year’s total of 275. Though most categories were down, traffic fatalities involving other motor vehicles, like e-bikes and e-scooters, saw an increase of 240% from 5 to 17 following the city’s legalization of them starting in fiscal year 2021. Deaths from crashes involving intoxicated drivers also increased by 29%, while DWI arrests went up 11%.
Civilian Complaint Review Board investigations stalled in the last fiscal year
- The average time to complete a full investigation jumped 56%, from 378 days in fiscal year 2021 to 591 days in fiscal year 2022
The average time to complete a substantiated investigation — meaning that investigators found evidence of a policy violation — increased by 42%, from 433 days to 614 days
The CCRB, which investigates allegations of police misconduct, attributed these increases to a backlog created during the pandemic, largely due to disputes with police who refused to participate in virtual interviews. The report also noted that more access to body camera footage has required investigators to take additional time to review footage, which is sometimes hours long and filmed from multiple officers’ cameras.
Meanwhile, the percentage of cases closed following a full investigation went up substantially, from 22% in fiscal year 2021 to 52% last fiscal year. The number of cases closed by the unit that reviews the most serious allegations against officers increased by 200%. The report notes the timeline for investigations has sped up once again following the disruptions at the height of the pandemic.
“Reducing the timeline of investigations has been a top priority for the CCRB since facing the unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We have already implemented new policies working toward this goal and are confident we will see positive results in the coming year.”
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Catalina Gonella contributed to this report.
Tagged
new york city
nypd
eric adams
Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
As Bat Week begins, state wildlife officials urge New Yorkers to protect bats, which play an important role in the environment.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 6:44 p.m. ET
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
News
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .