Despite a rise in certain offenses, Nassau County’s overall crime rate dropped significantly in 2024, earning it the title of America’s safest county.
A study from U.S. News & World Report ranked Nassau County as the safest county in the United States in 2024, a designation that underscores the county’s relatively low crime totals and strong law enforcement performance. The study focused on factors such as gun violence, access to busy roads and access to emergency care.
“Three hundred new police officers hired on my watch. Nassau ranked the safest county in America by U.S. News & World Report. We’ve increased patrols, improved response times, and protected families while chaos continues in NYC. A heartfelt thank you to the brave men and women of the Nassau County Police Department who keep us safe every day,” wrote Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in a Facebook post.
According to statistics from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, in 2024, Nassau County reported a total of 16,255 index crimes, marking a 10.1% decrease from the previous year’s 18,086 incidents.
This decline outpaced the reductions observed in neighboring counties: New York City saw a 2.9% drop to 123,744 crimes, Suffolk County experienced an 8.7% decrease to 19,167, and Westchester County had an 8.0% decline to 11,078.
The data covers the seven major crimes, known as Index Crimes: murder, rape, robbery, felony or aggravated assault, burglary, grand larceny, and motor vehicle theft.
Murder in Nassau County increased slightly, from 13 in 2023 to 15 in 2024, a 15.4% rise.
In comparison, New York City saw a small decline from 391 to 377, while Suffolk County dropped sharply from 28 to 16, and Westchester County rose from 11 to 16. While Nassau’s numbers remain low, the county’s murder rate is still far below that of the city.
Rape incidents in Nassau County rose significantly, from 69 cases in 2023 to 160 in 2024, an increase of 132%.
New York City reported an 18.9% increase, from 1,470 to 1,748, while Suffolk County remained steady at 136, and Westchester County decreased from 108 to 88. Despite the increase, Nassau’s overall numbers remain far lower than those in the city.
Robbery in Nassau County declined modestly, falling from 597 to 542, a 9.2% decrease.
By comparison, New York City saw a 2.3% drop, Suffolk County decreased 28.3%, and Westchester County fell 18.9%.
Aggravated assaults in Nassau County remained virtually unchanged, with 1,577 in 2024 compared with 1,579 in 2023.
New York City saw a 5.1% increase, rising to 29,417, while Suffolk County decreased slightly, and Westchester County saw a 13.5% rise.
Property crimes in Nassau County fell notably.
Burglary declined from 1,241 to 1,026, a 17.3% decrease.
By comparison, New York City saw a 5.7% drop from 13,816 to 13,029 cases. Suffolk County decreased 13.5% from 816 to 706, and Westchester County declined 18.2% from 1,003 to 820.
Grand larceny fell from 13,698 to 12,384, down 9.6%.
New York City experienced a 5.0% decrease from 50,968 to 48,423 cases, Suffolk County fell 7.6% from 17,097 to 15,791, and Westchester County decreased 8.1% from 8,260 to 7,589. Nassau County’s reduction was one of the highest among the counties measured.
Motor vehicle theft dropped sharply from 889 to 551, a 38% decrease.
New York City decreased 10.3% from 15,818 to 14,194, Suffolk County fell 19.3% from 1,534 to 1,238, and Westchester County declined 17.0% from 971 to 806.
Westchester County was ranked sixth in the United States and Suffolk County was ranked 22nd on the study from U.S. News & World Report, as well.
