New York City saw its safest summer on record, with historic lows recorded in shootings and murders, according to the NYPD, but it’s not all good news. While the first eight months of 2026 were the safest the city has ever seen in regards to shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders, pol ice data showed, there has also been a 16% spike in hate crimes across the five boroughs for the year. Police said anti-Jewish hate crimes account for more than half of the confirmed cases. Manhattan Aug 18 Suspect faces hate crime charges for violent outburst at Manhattan synagogue Upper West Side Jul 24 Suspect charged with hate crime in Upper West Side stabbing of 2 men Israel Jul 26 Netanyahu accuses Mamdani of ‘fomenting hate' and calls ICC war-crimes charges ‘bogus' Among the high-profile incidents highlighted this summer: a July case in Queens, where a man was seen on video throwing a Molotov cocktail at Inglesia Bautista Church in Ozone Park. The NYPD also cited a double stabbing on the Upper West Side in July, where a 51-year-old man was charged with a hate crime for stabbing both a Jewish and Asian man unprovoked after allegedly yelling “Allahu Akbar.” In August, the NYPD pointed to an attack at Central Synagogue, where a 63-year-old man was charged with interrupting Shabbat service and attacking a 63-year-old woman. For some in the Jewish community, the numbers remain alarming. The NYPD says anti-Jewish hate crimes were down more than 13% in August but up 8% year-to-date. Isaac Abraham, a Jewish community advocate, said he sees a lack of meaningful outreach from the city to Jewish communities that would effectively prevent these crimes. “Action, action. You don’t see a patrol car going by here. Nothing,” Abraham said. “We don’t need people with cameras, we don’t need people with statistics. What we’re looking for is justice.” Scott Richman, the regional director of the New York/New Jersey Anti-Defamation League, said his organization’s numbers align with what the NYPD is reporting. “We see an elevated level of assaults in the city,” Richman said. Richman said the war in Gaza is fueling hate. He also pointed to rhetoric from Mayor Zohran Mamdani — rhetoric Richman said needs to be turned down. “His rhetoric around the primaries where he accused people who are supportive of Israel. He used the word ‘monsters’ around people who are supportive of Israel. That fans the flames.” Richman said. In a statement, a Mamdani spokesperson did not address the claim that the mayor’s rhetoric may have contributed to a rise in hate, but instead said the administration is looking to “build a city where everyone can live safely, openly and with dignity.” Deputy Press Secretary Sam Raskin touted the administration’s 800% increase in funding for hate crime prevention and the mayor’s expanded Office to Combat Antisemitism. “Keeping New Yorkers safe is the first responsibility of government, and the historic decline in shootings, shooting victims and murders this summer shows what is possible when we take that responsibility seriously,” said Raskin. “But public safety means every New Yorker being safe, and there is no room for antisemitism or any other form of hate in our city. The decline in confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes in August is encouraging, but the increase we have seen year to date remains deeply concerning. Jewish New Yorkers should never have to change how they live, worship or move through their city because of fear.” This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less