Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Public Safety
The Committee on Public Safety, chaired by Council Member Oswald Feliz, held an oversight hearing on NYPD crime statistics. NYPD Inspector William Hall and Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber testified that murders, shootings, and several other crime categories are at or near historic lows, attributing results to data-driven precision policing, summer violence reduction zones, crew takedowns, and CompStat accountability. Council members and the Public Advocate raised concerns about categories still elevated versus pre-pandemic years (felony assault, grand larceny auto, transit felony assault), the accuracy of crime reporting, high summons dismissal rates, unconstitutional stops by specialty units, and staffing levels. The NYPD committed to provide multiple follow-up data reports to council members. Public testimony followed from advocates, a former council member, and residents.
0:10 For your cooperation. Good
0:10 afternoon. Good afternoon.
0:12 Welcome to New York City
0:12 council hearing on the
0:13 committee on public safety at
0:15 this time, please. Sounds
0:16 electronics and do not
0:18 approach the days at this time
0:19 you are testifying today. Make
0:20 sure you ensure that you have
0:21 filled out a slip at the back
0:22 of the room. Any other
0:24 questions or concerns, please
0:25 reach a sergeant at arms.
0:26 Thank you for cooperation
0:27 chair. We're ready to begin.
0:32 Thank you. Good afternoon,
0:32 everyone. I'm Council Member
0:34 Oswald Feliz, of the committee
0:35 on public safety. I want t
0:38 owelcome everyone to this
0:39 hearing on nypd crime
0:41 statistics. I also want to
0:43 welcome committee members who
0:44 have joined, including council
0:46 hank's Banks, Nurse areola
0:49 wang. I also want to welcome
0:50 our public advocate to money
0:54 Williams the public safety
0:54 committee is holding to this
0:55 hearing to take
0:56 acomprehensive look at the
0:58 areas of public safety that
0:58 have seen progress. We've made
1:00 a lot of progress these past
1:01 few years, including on the
1:02 issue of shootings and murders
1:06 there currently at historic
1:06 lows. This is something that
1:07 we have to celebrate and
1:11 recognize adrienne examined
1:11 the areas that have seen
1:12 progress. We also want to take
1:13 a look at crime categories
1:15 that require attention. We've
1:18 a gun made a lot of progress
1:19 on issues related related t
1:20 oshootings and murders. But
1:21 when we look at the crime
1:22 statistics from 20 19, the pre
1:25 pandemic years it is clear,
1:26 there's still room for
1:30 significant progress. This is
1:31 true for many crime categorie
1:31 s, including and especially
1:32 following your salt voting
1:34 results are drastically up
1:35 compared to the pre pandemic
1:37 years 20 17 20 1820 19 if my
1:41 math is correct. We of my
1:42 reading of the constitution
1:44 constant report is correct
1:45 .we've had so far felony
1:48 assaults this year year to
1:50 date versus about 15021.5
1:54 versus 15000 years to date in
1:58 20 19
1:58 . The same is true for many
1:59 other crime categories
1:59 ,including grand larceny
2:00 involving a vehicle.
2:02 We want to better understand
2:03 the challenges and discuss
2:04 challenges effectively
2:10 . And of course, our goal is
2:10 to have a hearing like this
2:11 before that end of every year.
2:12 Look at the areas that we've
2:14 made progress but also think
2:16 about the challenges that w
2:17 ehave and think about ways and
2:18 steps that we can take to help
2:19 resolve those challenges.
2:24 We are thankful for the work
2:24 and sacrifices of police
2:26 officers. The work and
2:27 sacrifices that I make every
2:28 single day to keep our City
2:30 safe public safety is a shared
2:32 responsibility, we achieve it
2:33 with good schools, good jobs,
2:34 ads, strong communities
2:38 ,police officers play an
2:38 important role in this issue,
2:40 they help ensure that
2:40 residents can engage in these
2:43 activities work school.
2:44 Opportunity without having
2:46 to worry about their safety
2:46 and we are thankful for that
2:49 their dedication and
2:50 commitment to the City does
2:50 not go unnoticed
2:54 . I want to thank members of
2:54 the nypd and all stakeholders
2:55 of are testifying today.
2:56 Welcome back to City City hal
2:58 l, the people's house. I would
3:00 like to thank my staff and
3:01 committee staff of their hard
3:02 work, josh king sleeves senior
3:04 counsel to the committee, chad
3:06 njambein, policy analyst. My
3:08 chief of staff has to go in on
3:10 my legislative director and
3:12 many others who have joined,
3:13 including I see nini from my
3:16 team, I look forward to
3:17 productive discussion on
3:17 what's going well but also the
3:19 challenges of remain in steps
3:20 that we can take to help her
3:22 these china just thank you.
3:23 Now I to brief you pass it on
3:25 to our very own public
3:25 advocate to monty Williams.
3:30 Thank you so much and this is
3:32 an extremely important hearing
3:33 , I think the public is very
3:36 concerned about public safety
3:38 and media is not helpful that
3:39 they often warped what's going
3:42 on to doomsday scenario
3:43 unnecessarily so. Data from
3:45 the nypd is really, really
3:46 important for the public to
3:48 see as I mentioned my name is
3:49 germany Williams public alvin
3:50 for the City of New York again
3:51 . Thank you, chef elise and
3:51 members of committee on public
3:53 safety for home. It's
3:54 important hearing and for the
3:55 administration for being here
3:57 ,ma'am. I'm donna, nypd
3:59 commissioner jessica tisch
4:00 reported that New York City
4:00 had as safe as someone record
4:01 for shootings and murders
4:04 .that is an absolute applause
4:05 line that is.
4:06 Awesome, according to
4:08 recently released data major
4:09 crime is down 6.2% year to
4:11 date or about 55000 fuel
4:13 crimes have proposed citywide.
4:16 Additionally, there were no
4:16 reported murders in the subway
4:17 nature developments in the
4:19 time period reported. This.
4:20 Is consistent with a larger
4:21 trend that we have seen since
4:22 the pandemic are a spike in
4:23 crime most major crimes hav
4:26 efallen have continued to fal
4:27 lsince 20 20 and New York City
4:30 is still and has been one o
4:31 fthe safest large cities in the
4:32 u. S. This is something t
4:35 ocelebrate. At the same time,
4:36 this is not captured a full
4:37 picture of crime in the City
4:38 is often difficult to arguably
4:40 to accurately report crime
4:41 statistics because how crimes
4:43 or describing how people
4:46 report them change frequently
4:46 an assault or shooting could,
4:47 for example, become a homicide
4:49 days or weeks later. If the
4:50 victim dies, a reported
4:51 burglary could turn out to be
4:53 misunderstanding in 20 24 New
4:55 York state expanded its
4:56 definition of rape, which
4:58 likely contribute to arise in
5:01 reported rapes, certain crimes
5:01 like rape or chronically under
5:03 reported, so do not present a
5:05 full picture. It is important
5:06 to remember that the
5:07 announcements are falling
5:08 crime rates capture the
5:09 numbers in that moment and the
5:12 decline decrease or even
5:12 reverse once department artist
5:13 them in the foot that follows
5:16 more concern. Only we
5:18 understand ttha those reports
5:19 not be updated with the New
5:21 numbers if they are like to
5:22 hear that they are
5:25 . It's also important t
5:26 oremember that policing tactics
5:27 purported to achieve these
5:28 declining reported crime rates
5:30 can disproportionately home
5:31 the most vulnerable New
5:32 yorkers under the previous
5:33 Mayor, the nypd cracking down
5:34 on low level quality of life
5:36 crimes such as taking up more
5:37 than one seat on the subwa
5:38 yand drinking in public. This
5:41 has continued under the
5:42 mundane administration and has
5:44 been criticized as a
5:45 resurgence are broken windows
5:47 policing at least broken
5:49 windows adjacent broken
5:50 windows. Policing is a
5:51 debunked theory that strict
5:54 law enforcement on low, strict
5:55 enforcement, low level crimes
5:56 will deter more serious crimes
5:57 later last year court cases on
6:00 top charges of taking up more
6:01 than one seat on the subway
6:02 increased 3000% compared to
6:05 the previous year in the first
6:07 three months of 20 26 criminal
6:08 summonses jumped 29% a recent
6:11 analysis of the data by
6:12 gothamist found that almost
6:13 half of civil summonses are
6:15 tossed by oath, largely
6:15 attributed to the practice of
6:16 issuing handwritten tickets,
6:19 though they are not criminal
6:20 summonses. These raises
6:21 questions about it. Efficiency
6:22 of this crackdown on the level
6:24 of at a time when any contact
6:25 with the courts put a non
6:27 citizen at risk of detention,
6:29 criminal summonses for
6:30 cyclists were especially
6:31 harmful with 91% of those them
6:32 were people of more color. I
6:36 am glad that mean Amanda
6:37 administration has announced
6:37 applying to end criminal
6:39 enforcement against the bikes,
6:39 writers and cyclist for low
6:41 level traffic offenses. I want
6:41 to make sure that doesn't mean
6:42 there suldnho't be any
6:43 accountability for infractions
6:47 . Additionally political
6:47 reported that the office of
6:48 community safety met with
6:50 bronze selected officials
6:51 about rising murders and
6:51 shootings in the bronx north
6:53 and New patrol, which
6:54 encompasses half of the
6:55 borough compared to the same
6:55 time last year, the northern
6:58 command has seen in nearly 20%
6:59 increase in shootings and a 6
7:00 %rise in murders. However,
7:03 these crime rates are falling
7:04 in bronx south crime in the
7:05 bar as a whole is training
7:07 downward. This underscores the
7:08 way we report crimes matters,
7:10 crime rates matters and can
7:12 sometimes appear neighbors
7:13 they need more tension than
7:14 this department came.
7:15 Provide. We must ensure that
7:16 we are not sweeping people
7:19 into the into the criminal
7:20 legal system when they clearly
7:22 need or need or the direct
7:23 connection to services and
7:24 support the stabilization
7:26 officers have discretion t
7:27 oissue people summonses instead
7:28 of taking them into custody
7:30 ,but there are many cases we've
7:31 seen where they are not using
7:34 it in a pregnant woman was
7:35 taken into custody for drug
7:36 possession and trespassing and
7:37 ended up giving birth in a
7:39 courtroom, witnesses stated a
7:39 tthe gave birth in handcuffs,
7:41 which is obviously
7:43 unacceptable that important
7:43 people to not only be safe,
7:44 but to feel safe. We cannot
7:48 just simply try to punish our
7:49 way of to safety, we know
7:50 arrests alone and not solved
7:52 long entrenched in equities
7:53 .how the department approaches
7:54 collaboration. Excuse me has a
7:55 direct impact on our ability
7:56 achieve a citywide level of
7:57 safety that we can all be
7:58 proud of, I do believe what
8:00 we're doing on gun violence is
8:02 a joint effort we're seeing a
8:02 lot of fruits there. I love t
8:04 osee some kind of joint hip
8:05 .it's on the other things as
8:08 well, and I'm hoping we don't
8:08 hear about bail and raised age
8:10 because there are other
8:11 counties that actually see
8:12 declines are using the same
8:14 laws are, and there are other
8:16 spaces in the country where
8:17 even seen larger declines with
8:19 similar laws, so looking
8:20 forward to a robus
8:20 tconversation. Thank you again
8:25 .thank you. Thank you so much
8:25 public advocate just want t
8:26 obriefly emphasize a point made
8:27 by our public advocate. The
8:30 bronx has obviously been
8:31 historically a challenging
8:32 burrow in our City on the
8:34 issue of crime and for that
8:36 reason we can't talk about
8:37 public safety and crime in our
8:39 City without putting an
8:40 emphasis on the bronx and if
8:41 my reading of the conflict
8:42 pumps that number is correct.
8:45 40% Of the shootings and 40%
8:47 of the shooting victims and
8:49 40% of the shooting incidents.
8:53 Have been in the bronx out
8:54 of all the incidents that
8:54 we've covered it's murders,
8:55 shooting incidents and victims
8:57 about 40% of each of those
8:58 have been in the bronx. So we
9:00 look forward to, uh, a talking
9:04 about steps we could take t
9:06 sto recognize council. Kabbani,
9:10 who has joined the zoom and
9:11 want to welcome michael garbe
9:13 r, deputy commissioner of legal
9:15 matters of the police
9:15 department and also inspector
9:18 william helt, commanding
9:19 officer of the office of a
9:21 crime control, other
9:22 strategies, and I'll pass it
9:22 to the committee counsel for
9:26 the old mmm. Thank you. Chair?
9:29 Can you just affirm to tell
9:29 the truth, the whole truth and
9:30 nothing but the truth and to
9:31 answer honestly, the council
9:35 over questions. You go ahead
9:35 .thank you so much good
9:43 afrnooten. Jeopardy's and
9:44 members of the council. My
9:44 name is inspector william how
9:46 and.
9:46 The commanding officer of
9:47 the nypd officer crime control
9:51 strategies. I am joined here
9:52 today by deputy commissioner
9:53 of legal matters, michael
9:53 gerber
9:54 . On behalf of police
9:55 commissioner jessica tisch.
9:56 Thank you for the opportunity
9:59 to testify today, the office
10:00 of crime control strategies
10:01 ,tracks and analyzes crime
10:02 across the City using data
10:04 driven approach we develop
10:05 strategies to reduce crime and
10:06 enhance public safety
10:10 . Through the end of we have
10:10 seen the fewest year to date
10:12 murders, shooting incidents
10:13 and shooting victims in New
10:14 York City since we started
10:16 systematically tracking the
10:17 data over 30 years ago, we've
10:20 had a 24.1% in murders from
10:23 last year, 18 fewer murders in
10:24 the previous record low
10:27 . And we are on track to
10:27 shatter the record lows of gun
10:28 violence that we sat just last
10:30 year here today shootin
10:32 gincidents have decreased 9.6%
10:35 and shooting victims by 11.9%.
10:38 That means 46 fewer shootings
10:40 and 73 fewer people shot. It
10:43 can be easy to get lost in the
10:44 statistics and percentages
10:45 ,but we can now forget these
10:48 numbers represent real life
10:50 saved.
10:50 Major crime across the City
10:51 has decreased 6.2% compared t
10:56 olast year. This includes a 1
10:57 28 decrease in auto theft and
11:01 11.9 robbery a 13.9 decrease
11:02 in burglary and a 5% decreas
11:04 ein grand larceny. I want to
11:08 highlight this reason someone
11:11 months, there was an
11:11 unprecedented series of high
11:12 profile events.
11:13 Including the finals, the
11:15 world cup 250 and the largest
11:17 fourth of celebration in the
11:20 nation. All of which, for a
11:20 tremendous demands on the nyp
11:24 dwhat we kept our focus on
11:24 fighting crime and the results
11:25 speak for themselves, whether
11:33 measured by shooting incidents
11:34 shooting victims or murders.
11:34 This was the safest summer for
11:36 gun violence in New York
11:38 city's recorded history from
11:40 June 1 to August 31, there
11:41 were 195 shooting incidents
11:43 . 32 Fewer from the previous
11:44 record low sent in 20 25 24
11:48 9shooting victims 44 fewer than
11:50 the previous record low set in
11:54 20 1866 murders 12
11:54 . Fewer than the previous
11:55 record low set in 20 17
11:59 . We achieved this success