Violent Crime in New York City Hits 2-Decade Low

Violent crime in New York City has declined to its lowest level since 1993, city officials said Tuesday.

“Thanks to the NYPD and the leadership of Police Commissioner [William] Bratton, crime in New York City is at historic lows,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. “But this administration doesn’t rest on its laurels.”

The number of homicides decreased by 7% from this August to November compared with last year, while the number of robberies was down 14%.

The decline was even more dramatic for low-level marijuana arrests. The total decreased by 61% after the launch of a be Blasio program to issue tickets instead of arresting people in possession of small quantities of marijuana.

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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com.