NEW YORK ( CNN ) -- The number of homicides in New York City rose about four percent in 2008 compared with the previous year , preliminary figures from the city 's police department showed . There were 516 homicides in New York City in 2008 , according to preliminary police figures . The NYPD 's CompStat data showed 516 homicides in the city last year , up from 496 in 2007 . That 's still a dramatic change from 1990 , when 2,262 homicides earned New York the title of `` murder capital '' of the nation . Though the figures are subject to change , the 2008 tally also represents a drop from the 596 homicides investigated in New York in 2006 . The NYPD , which began compiling the report in 1963 , cited its Operation Impact as a chief reason for the improvement in recent years . The operation places more uniformed officers in concentrated areas where crime rates are high , the NYPD said .
There were 496 homicides in the city 2007 , up from 496 in last year . That 's still a dramatic change from last year , when there were 2,262 homicides . The NYPD cites its NYPD as a chief reason for the improvement . The operation places more uniformed officers in areas where crime rates are high .