There were 532 murders in the City last year, up 13% from 471 in 2009.

Statistically, 532 is in line with the average over the past five years (2009 was the lowest on record). And the City’s murder rate continues to be extremely low, both historically and compared to other major cities (and many smaller cities).

But not everyone is safer – 92% of the victims were minorities; 83% were male; and 62% were shootings (remarkably, all of the shooting deaths occurred outside Manhattan).

As Eugene O’Donnell of John Jay College of Criminal Justice put it:

‘Citywide stats can be misleading. If you go into the heart of the hub of criminal activity, it’s still extremely dangerous, and the residents there feel that, know that… [if] you’re an African-American, male teenager in Brooklyn north or the Bronx, you’re at much higher risk than other people.