Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, County Executive Laura Curran and Commissioner of Police Patrick Ryder announced that Nassau County has experienced a nearly 25 percent reduction in major crimes in the last five years, making Nassau New York’s safest large county.
According to newly released statistics from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, there was an approximately 24.98 percent decrease in index crimes from 2013 to 2017 and an approximately 21.84 percent drop in violent crimes in that time period. Crimes against property decreased approximately 25.38 percent in the five-year reporting period.
Index crimes – as defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – include violent crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; as well as crimes against property, such as burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.
The data is collected from 24 law enforcement agencies that operate in the county, including the Nassau County Police Department, New York State Police and municipal police departments.
| Nassau County | Index Total | Violent Total | Property Total |
| 2013 | 18,684 | 2,111 | 16,573 |
| 2014 | 17,680 | 2,043 | 15,637 |
| 2015 | 16,358 | 1,984 | 14,374 |
| 2016 | 15,275 | 1,826 | 13,449 |
| 2017 | 14,016 | 1,650 | 12,366 |
| Five Year Change % | -24.98% | -21.84% | -25.38% |
Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
Nassau County experienced the biggest decline of violent crimes when compared to neighboring jurisdictions – New York City, Suffolk and Westchester – from 2013-17.
“Thanks to the collaborative and strategic efforts of law enforcement and the outstanding work of our community partners, Nassau County has seen a dramatic drop in major crimes, and we are proudly the safest large county in New York,” DA Singas said. “I’m grateful to County Executive Curran, Police Commissioner Ryder, our local police departments, and the strong partnerships at every level across Long Island as we continue our work to tackle the public safety challenges we face together.”
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said, “Today we are proud to announce that crime in Nassau County is the lowest it has been in years. With our continued public safety efforts, District Attorney Singas’ leadership and Commissioner Ryder’s data-driven policing, we share the same vision to ensure the safety and security of our residents and our communities. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our law-enforcement personnel who continue to make history.”
“Decreases of major crime of these historic lows not only occur without the hard work of the men and women in law enforcement but also by focusing on intelligence gathering, predictive analysis and appropriate allocation of resources,” said Ryder. “We have been able to identify patterns before they become serious issues and give them proper attention. This, and our outreach to the community, such as the Police Youth Academy, the Commissioners Community Council and our Explorer Program, have had excellent results to not only educate our communities and young students but to create a cohesive atmosphere. We are investing in our communities, and we are seeing the beneficial returns”.
To view Nassau County’s statistics, click this link.
DCJS statistics can be found here.
