Crime soared in the 1980s and early 1990s, following the crack epidemic that hit the city, but until the beginning of the XXI century has seen crime rates drop dramatically, and in 2005 the city is recognized as having the low crime rate of all 25 major U.S. cities In 2002 New York had almost the same crime rate as Provo city, Utah State, and was ranked as the 197th in terms of crime, of all the 216 American cities with over 100,000 inhabitants. Violent crimes decreased by more than 75% from 1993 to 2005, continuing to decline, while the rest of this growing country. In 2005 the number of homicides reached its lowest level since 1963. in 2007 in New York there were fewer than 500 homicides for the first time since data have been published about the crime rate in 1963.
Sociology and criminology have failed to find an answer to why this city has seen a dramatic decrease in crime rate. Some attribute this phenomenon to new measures taken by the New York City Police Department. Others explain that end crack epidemic and demographic changes would cause.
Organized crime has always been associated with New York, from Forty Thieves and the Roach Guards groups of Five Points, Manhattan, in 1820. The twentieth century has seen an increase in power Mafia dominated by the Five Families. Groups including the Black Spades also grew late twentieth century.
