Overview
- Lurie reports crime down about 30% citywide and roughly 40% in key downtown areas such as Union Square and the Financial District.
- City data show encampments declined from 245 in January to 162 in December, with the mayor also citing a 40% rise in shelter placements.
- The administration highlights 500 new treatment and recovery beds, which a leading homelessness advocate calls a positive step for addressing the drug crisis.
- Critics challenge enforcement-heavy tactics, noting more than 1,000 citations or arrests for lodging with about 75% ending in findings of innocence.
- City Hall points to license plate readers, drones, improving convention bookings, and returning retailers as signs of momentum ahead of 2026 events.