Crime rates were at an all-time low in 2013, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Research results released on Thursday found New York State has the lowest crime rate in 20 years, though the city still accounts for 69 percent of all violent crimes reported in the state.
Violent crimes, which rose in New York City from 2009 to 2012, fell about 1 percent from 2012 to 2013. During the last year, the number of reported aggravated assault and larcenies increased slightly. Murders dropped from 419 in 2012 to 335 in 2013, and burglaries and motor vehicle thefts were down by about 10 percent each.
The research, based on FBI data, was recently published by the PEW Charitable Trusts, and also found the state incarcerations are significantly down.
The lower rates were driven in part by a decrease in the number of reported crimes in New York City, which is down by 73 percent since 1990.
New York State was the safest large state in the U.S. in 2012, according to the study, and the third-safest state overall behind Idaho and North Dakota.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office sent out the results on Thursday, calling New York a “true example of how safety and fairness can coexist.”
“I am proud to see New York State achieving these record results, and this administration will continue our work to make New York the safest possible place to live, work and raise a family,” Cuomo said in a media release.
State crime was at an all-time low in 2013, according to a report by the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and crime has continued to drop during the first six months of 2014.
Across the state, incarcerations have dropped 24 percent since 1994, which the governor attributes to a drop in the number of locked up non-violent drug offenders. Today, there are 6,834 drug offenders in New York State prisons, as opposed to 1996, which saw an all-time high of 23,511.
