Big Apple is safer by far

THE NUMBER of shootings across the city in 2016 remained below 1,000 — with four days left in the year, according to NYPD statistics.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 985 shooting incidents, compared with 1,124 in the same period in 2015 — a 12.3% drop.

If the number of shootings comes in under 1,000, it would set a historic mark and confirm a prediction Police Commissioner James O’Neill made earlier this month.

Compared with 2014, shootings are down 14.6% — or 1,154 to 985.

“Think about the lives saved. This is a tremendous achievement,” O’Neill said at a Crain’s New York Business breakfast forum at the New York Athletic Club on Central Park South Dec. 14.

He noted at the time that there were 5,000 shootings in 1992.

O’Neill said he needs the public’s help to continue to reduce crime.

“We can’t do it alone though,” he said. “The safer we keep New York City, the more people will want to come. I’m proud of the men and women who have made this happen.”

Through Sunday, 1,166 people had been shot, compared with 1,321 in 2015 — an 11.7% drop.

By comparison, the city of Chicago, with just 2.7 million people, has seen 4,324 people shot — compared with 2,989 in 2015. New York City’s population is 8.4 million.

On Tuesday, the number of major crimes in New York City reached 100,013 — compared with 104,327 in 2015.

Homicides remain lower than to date in 2015, with 331 compared with 344, a 3.7% drop.

Crime in the transit system is also down, by 3.4% — or 2,381 total, versus 2,464 in 2015.

In fact, crime in every major category is down — except for assault, which is up 2.1%, or 20,452, compared with 20,033.