There were 516 homicides in the city last year , up from 496 in 2007 . The number of murders has been declining for years The NYPD cites its Operation Impact as a chief reason for the improvement . The operation places more uniformed officers in areas where crime rates are high .
There were 516 homicides in the city last year , up from 496 in 2007 . That 's still a dramatic change from 1990 , when there were 2,262 homicides . The NYPD cites its Operation Impact as a chief reason for the improvement . The operation places more uniformed officers in areas where crime rates are high .