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A detailed breakdown of property crime trends affecting commercial buildings, retail spaces, and businesses across the New York City and New Jersey metro area — with data from the NYPD, FBI, and the Brennan Center.
Property crime remains one of the top concerns for building owners, property managers, and commercial tenants across the New York metropolitan area. The direction of travel is unusually favorable right now — 2025 produced the largest single-year drop in national property crime in decades, and 2026 has continued the trend. But the reality on the ground is more nuanced. Crime is concentrated in specific neighborhoods, specific building types, and specific times of day.
This page compiles the most current property crime data from the NYPD, FBI, the Brennan Center for Justice, and other authoritative sources. Understanding these numbers helps property managers make informed decisions about commercial security staffing and building protection.
New York City's property crime picture improved substantially in 2025 and has continued improving through 2026.
2025 was an exceptional year for crime reduction nationally. According to the FBI's 2025 crime statistics, based on data from more than 17,000 agencies covering 96% of the U.S. population:
| Category | 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total major crimes | 121,652 | Seven major index crimes |
| Murders | 309 | Lowest since the 1950s except 2017–18 |
| Felony assaults | 29,841 | ↑ 1.3% — sixth straight annual increase |
Source: Vital City — The State of Crime in New York City, 2025
A note on measurement: "Total major crimes" counts the seven major index offenses tracked by NYPD CompStat. Broader felony, misdemeanor, and violation counts — which include many offense types outside those seven — are substantially larger and are not directly comparable. Percentage changes cited on this page refer to the major-crime measure unless stated otherwise.
Breaking down property crime by category reveals where the improvements are happening — and where vulnerabilities remain.
| Crime Type | 2026 YTD | Change vs. 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Burglary | — | -16.3% |
| Robbery | — | -11.7% |
| Grand larceny (through late Aug) | 29,731 | -5.1% |
| Felony assault | — | +0.3% |
| Total major crime | — | -5.9% |
Source: Vital City — Midyear 2026 (Jan 1 – Jun 28); NYPD CompStat (grand larceny through late August 2026)
Burglary's 16.3% decline is the standout for commercial property owners — the largest drop of any major category and the crime type most directly relevant to unoccupied commercial space. But scale still matters: even at 2026's reduced rate, the city is recording roughly 30,000 grand larcenies in eight months. Buildings without adequate security remain exposed.
One of the most important insights from recent crime data is that NYC crime is highly concentrated geographically. A small number of neighborhoods account for a disproportionate share of incidents. The neighborhood breakdown below reflects Vital City's 2024 analysis, the most recent published at that granularity.
For commercial property owners, these concentration patterns mean that location matters enormously when assessing security needs. A building in Midtown faces a very different risk profile than one in a lower-crime outer borough neighborhood. BSS provides security services across all five boroughs — see our coverage for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
"The citywide numbers look better, and that's great — but they don't tell the whole story. When we evaluate commercial buildings, the neighborhood-level data is what matters. A Class A office building in Midtown is dealing with a completely different threat profile than one in the Financial District. We customize our security plans based on what's actually happening at the block level, not just the borough level."
— Amanda DeAlmeida, Executive Vice President, Building Security Services
New Jersey's crime picture is generally more favorable than the national average, but commercial property owners across the state still face meaningful risk — particularly in urban areas. State-level FBI data for New Jersey is currently published through 2024; the 2025 state breakouts had not been released as of September 2026.
| Category | NJ Rate (per 100K) | vs. U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate | 218 | 39.4% below avg |
| Property crime rate | 1,427 | 18.9% below avg |
| Burglary rate | 145 | — |
| Larceny-theft rate | 1,119 | — |
| Murder rate | 2 | — |
Source: FBI/USAFacts, 2024
New Jersey saw improvements across every major crime category in 2024 (USAFacts, 2024):
National 2025 figures indicate the trend continued and accelerated: burglary fell 15.8% and motor vehicle theft 22.7% nationwide (FBI). State-level confirmation for New Jersey will follow when the 2025 breakouts publish.
Source: FBI/USAFacts, 2024
NJ ranked 42nd among states for violent crime and 34th for property crime — meaning the state is safer than most. However, commercial districts in cities like Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson experience crime rates well above the state average, requiring proactive security planning. BSS serves properties across New Jersey — see our NJ service locations.
Property crime doesn't just affect building owners — it has cascading effects on the tenants, employees, and customers who occupy commercial spaces.
Many commercial properties include ground-floor retail. Retail theft trends followed the same pattern as property crime in 2025 — declining in volume, but shifting in character:
The implication for building owners is worth stating plainly: falling theft volume does not mean falling risk to retail tenants. The incidents that remain skew toward repeat offenders and organized crews — higher-value, higher-confrontation events. For deeper detail, see our retail theft and shrinkage statistics.
For building owners with retail tenants, property crime and retail theft are directly connected to tenant retention and property value. Tenants who don't feel safe — or whose customers don't feel safe — will leave.
For commercial buildings that rely on public transit access — which is most of NYC — subway and transit safety directly affects tenant satisfaction and employee retention.
The concentration of transit crime at just 30 stations is a critical planning factor. Commercial buildings near high-incident stations may need enhanced lobby security, front desk security, and doorman services to ensure tenants and visitors feel safe from the moment they enter.
The data shows that while citywide trends are strongly positive, commercial properties in high-crime areas or with high-value tenants still need proactive security measures. Here's what works:
Trained building security guards provide the visible presence that deters crime and the skilled response that handles incidents. For commercial properties, this includes lobby officers, patrol officers, and night watch services.
Controlling who enters your building is the foundation of commercial security — and it is the single most relevant control for felony assault, the one major crime category still rising in New York. Modern access control systems combined with reception security create multiple layers of protection.
CCTV surveillance covers lobbies, parking areas, loading docks, stairwells, and building perimeters. Remote monitoring extends coverage to overnight hours.
A professional security risk assessment identifies your building's specific vulnerabilities based on location, tenant mix, foot traffic patterns, and current security gaps.
Property crime is falling across the board. Felony assault is not — it has risen six years running and now outnumbers murders 97 to 1 in New York City. A security program calibrated only to theft and burglary is calibrated to the improving half of the picture. Lobby presence, access control, and trained de-escalation address the half that isn't.
"Property managers are dealing with a paradox right now — crime rates are going down on paper, but their tenants and employees still don't feel safe. Perception matters as much as statistics. A well-staffed security program doesn't just prevent crime — it gives everyone in the building confidence that someone is watching out for them. That confidence translates directly into tenant retention and building reputation."
— Amanda DeAlmeida, Executive Vice President, Building Security Services
Falling, sharply. National property crime fell 12.4% in 2025 according to the FBI, with burglary down 15.8%, larceny-theft down 9.8%, and motor vehicle theft down 22.7%. In New York City, burglary fell 16.3% and robbery 11.7% at the 2026 midpoint, and grand larceny was down 5.1% through late August 2026.
Midtown Manhattan has the highest property crime rate in New York City, which matters given that it is also the city's most concentrated commercial and retail district. Grand larceny in Manhattan is nearly three times more likely than in Brooklyn, and roughly half of all major crime citywide occurs in a small number of precincts.
New Jersey's property crime rate is 1,427 per 100,000 residents — 18.9% below the U.S. average, ranking 34th among states. Its violent crime rate is 39.4% below average, ranking 42nd. All seven major crime categories declined in the state in 2024. Urban commercial districts in Newark, Jersey City, and Paterson run well above the state average.
Yes, for two reasons. First, scale: even at 2026's reduced rate, New York City is recording roughly 30,000 grand larcenies in eight months. Percentage declines describe direction; absolute counts describe exposure. Second, felony assault is the one major category still rising — up for six consecutive years and now outnumbering murders 97 to 1. A security program built only around theft addresses the improving half of the risk picture.
Yes. Insurance premiums for commercial properties are tied to both the crime statistics for the property's zip code and the building's own security posture. Buildings with professional security programs often qualify for reduced premiums, which means security spending partially offsets itself through lower insurance costs.
Significantly, but unevenly. Transit crime is rare relative to ridership — more than 750,000 subway rides per major felony — but highly concentrated: half of all violent transit crimes occur at just 30 of the system's 472 stations. Buildings near those specific stations face meaningfully elevated risk and typically benefit from enhanced lobby and front desk coverage.
All statistics on this page are sourced from official law enforcement data, government agencies, and established research organizations. Where a figure reflects an earlier reference year — neighborhood-level breakdowns and New Jersey state data in particular — that year is stated explicitly. New Jersey's 2025 state-level breakouts had not been published as of September 2026. Data compiled September 2026.
Building Security Services provides professional security staffing for commercial buildings, office towers, and mixed-use properties across New York City and New Jersey.
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