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NEW YORK -- New York State has experienced a decline in the overall crime rate over the past decade, according to a report by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) released on Tuesday. Of particular significance is the decline in the index rate of violent crimes, which declined 30 percent since 2000. The index rate of property crimes declined by 24 percent and the indexed overall crime rate decreased by 26 percent, said the report. The overall amount of crimes committed decreased by 23 percent.
“What pleases me most is that there were 136,619 fewer index crimes reported in 2009 than in 2000—which means there were at least 136,619 fewer victims of crime, even as the state’s population increased by a half million,” stated Sean M. Byrne, acting commissioner of DCJS.
