In spite of its violent reputation, New York City actually has less crime per capita than a number of other major cities, including Washington,
Not only is New York City a financial and economic center, but it is also the headquarters to the United Nations. ()
D.C., Boston, New Orleans, and Dallas. The city's crime rate actually has dropped in recent years, thanks partly to public safety policies, such as gun amnesties and gun confiscation, as well as anti-drug initiatives. In 1997, New York's crime rate was the lowest it had been since 1968. The New York Police Department is one of the country's largest. It covers a jurisdiction of some 829 square kilometers (320 square miles) and has an annual budget of $2.4 million. Over 38,000 uniformed officers and about 9,000 civilians are employed by the department. The city's five boroughs are divided into eight Patrol Borough Commands, which are in turn subdivided into 76 precincts.
In 1995, violent crimes reported to police (per 100,000 population) totaled 1,573 and included 16 murders, 32 rapes, 810 robberies, and 715 aggravated assaults. Property crimes totaled 4,503 and included 1,009 burglaries, 2,500 cases of larceny/theft, and 993 motor vehicle thefts.
