Not a single person was reported stabbed, shot or slashed in New York City on Monday, a possible sign of a downward trend in violent crime that could put the city at its lowest murder numbers since 1960 by the end of the year, according to a published report.
When asked about the absence of those incidents, chief NYPD spokesman Paul Browne told the Daily News it was a "nice way to start the week" and added he couldn't recall a time when the city logged zero such cases in the same day.
Tom Repetto, an NYPD historian and author, told the News the absence of shootings and stabbings Monday was uncommon, but indicative of a larger trend.
"They're going to come in with the fewest number of murders since about 1960," Repetto said of the NYPD this year. "It's an almost impossible figure, but their programs have been fabulously successful in stopping crime."
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Murders citywide are down 23 percent year over year, with 366 recorded thus far in 2012 compared with 472 the year before. The city is on pace to finish the year slightly above 400, Repetto said. Shootings are also down.
Total crime is up in the city by 3 percent this year, but officials attribute that mostly to an increase in grand larcenies connected to the rise in smartphone and tablet thefts. Police have implemented a series of programs to deter those crimes, particularly in subways.
