The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The city’s homicide rate has plummeted nearly 30 percent in the first three months of this year, police officials said Wednesday.
There were 84 homicides recorded through Sunday, compared with 117 during the same period last year — a 28.2 percent decline. Reports of all serious crimes, including robberies, assaults and grand larcenies, were down 10.2 percent.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it was the first time in recent history that the city was averaging fewer than one homicide a day.
“Of course we have a long way to go this year,” he told reporters at police headquarters.
The city had 590 homicides in 2006 — 50 more than in 2005 — but overall crime last year was down 4.7 percent.
The city’s homicide toll reached an all-time high of 2,245 in 1990 before plummeting over the past 15 years to levels not seen since the early 1960s.