Negligent Security in Manhattan: Assaults and Robberies on Private Property by Precinct 2026

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Eric Richman, Esq.

Man standing on steps while locking apartment door, examples of negligent security in New York blog

In 2025, NYPD took 1,174 felony assault complaints in Manhattan for attacks at privately owned apartment buildings [1]. That was more than one of every five felony assaults in the borough. Add stores, bars, hotels, restaurants and office buildings, and private property accounted for 35% of felony assaults and 39% of robberies [1].

Those are the places where an owner had some control over locks, lighting, guards and cameras. This report maps them by precinct using NYPD complaint data for 2025 and the first months of 2026.

How This Report Defines Private Property

NYPD records a premises type for nearly every crime complaint. This report groups privately owned premises together: apartment buildings, private houses, hotels, bars, stores, restaurants, banks, commercial buildings and private garages. Public housing run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) appears in its own column. NYCHA is a public landlord, and claims against it follow different rules.

Where Manhattan’s Assaults and Robberies Happened in 2025

Premises Type Felony Assaults Robberies Total
Street 1,677 1,282 2,959
Private apartment building 1,174 286 1,460
Public housing (NYCHA) 695 263 958
Chain store 60 243 303
Grocery or bodega 109 112 221
Bar or nightclub 120 20 140
Restaurant or diner 87 43 130
Drug store 14 91 105
Commercial building 43 52 95
Hotel or motel 60 20 80
All Manhattan premises 5,337 3,290 8,627

Source: NYPD Complaint Data Historic, NYC Open Data, Manhattan complaints with a 2025 occurrence date [1]. Selected premises types shown; the total includes all types.

Robbery and assault split along different lines. Chain stores logged 243 robberies but only 60 felony assaults [1]. Apartment buildings showed the reverse, with four felony assaults for every robbery [1]. Bars and nightclubs produced 120 felony assaults, six times their robbery count [1].

Precinct Rankings: Felony Assaults at Private Apartment Buildings

Rank Precinct Area Felony Assaults in Private Apartment Buildings Robberies in Private Apartment Buildings Share of Precinct’s Felony Assaults NYCHA Felony Assaults
1 32nd Central Harlem (north) 170 55 36.7% 97
2 34th Washington Heights (north) and Inwood 126 32 40.0% 6
3 23rd East Harlem (south) 106 22 24.5% 187
4 30th Hamilton Heights 92 22 56.1% Under 5
5 33rd Washington Heights (south) 91 25 35.3% Under 5
6 25th East Harlem (north) 68 17 18.7% 53
7 28th Central Harlem (south) 63 10 25.2% 32
8 19th Upper East Side 57 10 28.1% 13
9 (tie) 18th Midtown North 51 12 15.3% Under 5
9 (tie) 24th Upper West Side (north) 51 8 27.0% 41

Source: NYPD Complaint Data Historic, 2025 [1]. Shares use each precinct’s total felony assault complaints. “Under 5” means fewer than five complaints.

In the 30th Precinct, which covers Hamilton Heights, more than half of all felony assaults happened at private apartment buildings [1]. The 32nd Precinct had the highest raw count at 170 [1]. Upper Manhattan holds seven of the ten precincts on the list.

The 23rd Precinct shows why the NYCHA column matters. It recorded 187 felony assaults in public housing, more than in its private apartment buildings [1].

Commercial Hot Spots

Precinct Premises Type Offense 2025 Complaints
13th (Gramercy, Flatiron) Chain store Robbery 35
1st (Financial District, Tribeca) Chain store Robbery 31
14th (Midtown South) Chain store Robbery 28
19th (Upper East Side) Drug store Robbery 26
14th (Midtown South) Clothing store Robbery 24
19th (Upper East Side) Chain store Robbery 24
14th (Midtown South) Department store Robbery 22
18th (Midtown North) Hotel or motel Felony assault 22
14th (Midtown South) Hotel or motel Felony assault 20
18th (Midtown North) Bar or nightclub Felony assault 20

Source: NYPD Complaint Data Historic, 2025 [1]. The ten largest precinct and premises combinations among privately owned commercial premises.

Midtown’s two precincts accounted for 42 of the 60 felony assaults recorded in Manhattan hotels in 2025 [1]. The 14th Precinct appears four times, for robberies at chain, clothing and department stores and for hotel assaults [1]. The Upper East Side’s 19th Precinct logged 50 robberies at drug stores and chain stores combined [1].

2026 So Far

NYPD’s year-to-date file, retrieved October 29, 2026, lists 612 felony assaults in Manhattan apartment buildings [2]. That is more than half of the 2025 total. Private property’s share has edged up, to 36.7% of felony assaults and 40.8% of robberies [2]. Hotels have already recorded 47 felony assaults, against 60 for all of 2025 [1][2].

What the Numbers Mean for a Negligent Security Claim

New York’s highest court has held that landlords must take minimal precautions against foreseeable crime [3]. A tenant attacked in a building generally has to show that the attacker was likely an intruder who got in through a negligently maintained entrance [3]. State law also requires self-closing, self-locking entrance doors in most apartment buildings built or converted after 1968, plus an intercom in those with eight or more units [4]. Claims against NYCHA usually require a notice of claim within 90 days [5].

Complaint counts like these can help show that an owner should have seen the risk coming. Negligent security claims are a form of premises liability. In one such case, Eric Richman represented a woman who was raped in her apartment building after the front door had been broken for at least two years, and the case resolved for $2 million. This guide to crime victim and negligent security lawyers in Manhattan compares firms that handle similar claims.

If you were assaulted or robbed on private property in Manhattan and you need legal guidance or would like to discuss your case, contact Eric Richman at (212) 688-3965 for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Manhattan precinct has the most assaults in apartment buildings?

The 32nd Precinct in Central Harlem recorded 170 felony assaults at private apartment buildings in 2025, the most in Manhattan. In the 30th Precinct, apartment buildings accounted for 56.1% of all felony assaults.

How many Manhattan assaults and robberies happen on private property?

In 2025, 35% of Manhattan felony assaults and 39% of robberies happened on privately owned premises such as apartment buildings, stores, bars and hotels. Public housing is counted separately.

Can I sue a landlord if I was attacked in my building?

You may have a claim if the building’s security fell short and the attacker was likely an intruder. New York courts look at whether the crime was foreseeable and whether a broken door or lock let the attacker in.

Sources

1. New York City Police Department. NYPD complaint data historic [Data set]. NYC Open Data. Retrieved October 29, 2026. https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/qgea-i56i

2. New York City Police Department. NYPD complaint data current (year to date) [Data set]. NYC Open Data. Retrieved October 29, 2026. https://data.cityofnewyork.us/d/5uac-w243

3. Burgos v. Aqueduct Realty Corp., 92 N.Y.2d 544 (1998). https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/court-of-appeals/1998/92-n-y-2d-544-0.html

4. New York State Senate. Multiple Dwelling Law § 50-a: Entrance doors and locks. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/MDW/50-A

5. New York State Senate. General Municipal Law § 50-e: Notice of claim. https://nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GMU/50-E

The information provided on this blog is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. Viewing or interacting with this content does not establish an attorney-client relationship with Eric Richman, and any communications through this platform do not constitute confidential or privileged information. For personalized legal guidance on your specific personal injury case, please contact our firm to schedule a consultation.

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