Long Island Crime Statistics (Nassau & Suffolk)
Long Island, New York, made up of Nassau County and Suffolk County, is home to nearly 3 million residents. Understanding local crime patterns is important for community members, policymakers, and visitors alike. This page presents government-sourced crime data for both counties, with rates shown per 100,000 residents where appropriate.
Most statistics below are drawn from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Index Crime datasets and related New York Open Data releases. DCJS compiles crime reports from police departments and sheriffs’ offices across New York State and posts preliminary data in the spring and final data in the fall. Population references are based on recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
For clarity: Index Crimes include violent crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, and property crimes, such as burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. These figures reflect crimes reported to police and do not necessarily capture every incident that occurred.
Long Island Crime Snapshot (Latest Publicly Available 2024 Data)
| Area | Estimated Population | Total Index Crimes | Violent Crimes | Property Crimes | Crime Rate (per 100k) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island (total) | ~2,928,000 | ~44,600 | ~5,300 | ~39,300 | ~1,523 |
| Nassau County | ~1,392,000 | 16,260 | 2,294 | 13,966 | ~1,168 |
| Suffolk County | ~1,536,000 | ~28,370 | ~3,040 | ~25,330 | ~1,847 |
Note: Nassau County 2024 figures are shown from the current New York Open Data/DCJS county total export. Suffolk County figures are rounded from the most recently available public rate summaries and should be treated as approximate until a clean county-total export is reviewed directly. Population estimates are rounded from recent U.S. Census figures.
Ten-Year Trend (2015–2024)
| Year | Nassau Total | Suffolk Total | Long Island Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 16,358 | ~23,866 | ~40,224 |
| 2016 | 15,278 | ~22,431 | ~37,709 |
| 2017 | 14,039 | ~21,707 | ~35,746 |
| 2018 | 13,383 | ~21,012 | ~34,395 |
| 2019 | 13,387 | ~20,445 | ~33,832 |
| 2020 | 12,244 | ~19,877 | ~32,121 |
| 2021 | 12,538 | ~19,665 | ~32,203 |
| 2022 | 18,553 | ~20,437 | ~38,990 |
| 2023 | 18,086 | ~30,000 | ~48,086 |
| 2024 | 16,260 | ~28,370 | ~44,630 |
Source: NYS DCJS / New York Open Data Index Crimes by County and Agency. Rounded Suffolk figures are used where public countywide rollups were available only through rate summaries or secondary summaries rather than a directly reviewed county-total export.
County Details (2024)
Nassau County
- Population: ~1.39 million
- Total Index Crimes: 16,260
- Violent: 2,294
- Property: 13,966
- Rate per 100k: ~1,168
Crime in Nassau remains lower on a per-capita basis than many statewide and national benchmarks. Larceny continues to account for the largest share of reported Index Crime, while violent crime remains a smaller portion of the overall total.
Suffolk County
- Population: ~1.54 million
- Total Index Crimes: ~28,370
- Violent: ~3,040
- Property: ~25,330
- Rate per 100k: ~1,847
Suffolk continues to record higher overall crime numbers than Nassau, reflecting both its larger population and higher property-crime rate. Violent crime remains a minority share of Suffolk’s overall reported Index Crime total.
Methodology
- Data source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and New York Open Data Index Crime datasets.
- Final vs. preliminary: DCJS posts preliminary data in the spring and final data in the fall. Readers should treat the most recent year cautiously until all final county files and agency-level exports are reconciled.
- Population estimates: U.S. Census Bureau county population estimates, rounded for readability.
- Rates: (Crime count ÷ Population) × 100,000.
- Scope: Includes Nassau County (Nassau County PD, Glen Cove PD, Long Beach PD, village departments, and other reporting agencies where applicable) and Suffolk County (Suffolk County PD, village departments, NYSP where relevant, and other reporting agencies where applicable).
Quick Crime Comparison — Long Island, New York State & U.S.
This summary table places Long Island’s latest available county data beside statewide and national figures for context. Long Island rates are calculated from combined Nassau and Suffolk counts and rounded population estimates. New York State and U.S. totals are shown from 2024 public reporting.
| Metric | Long Island (Nassau + Suffolk) | New York State | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Index Crimes / Comparable Reported Offenses (2024) | ~44,600 | 423,486 | More than 14 million reported offenses in FBI 2024 reporting |
| Approx. Crime Rate (per 100,000) | ~1,523 | Varies by region and offense category | National violent and property crime rates declined in 2024 |
| Violent vs. Property Share | ~12% / ~88% | Property crime remains the larger category | Property crime remains the larger category |
Note: National FBI reporting is not always directly interchangeable with New York State DCJS Index Crime tables because reporting systems, participation, definitions, and publication formats can differ. The comparison is intended for context rather than a one-to-one audit.
FAQ
Q: Why does this page use DCJS data instead of only FBI reports?
A: DCJS provides the most complete and consistent official statewide record for New York State, including local agency submissions. FBI data is useful for national context, but direct county-to-county comparisons can be affected by reporting system changes and agency participation.
Q: Why present rates instead of raw counts?
A: Rates account for population differences, making it easier to compare counties and regions fairly over time.
Q: How often is this updated?
A: DCJS generally posts preliminary annual data in the spring and final statistics later in the year. This page should be updated when final annual county files are available.
Q: Are these numbers the same as “reported crime”?
A: Yes. Index Crime statistics reflect offenses reported to police. They do not capture every incident that may have occurred, since not all crimes are reported.
Q: Why are some Suffolk figures rounded?
A: The public data available during this update included clean Nassau county-total figures, while Suffolk’s latest rollup was available through rounded rate summaries and public reporting rather than a directly reviewed county-total export. Rounded figures are used to avoid false precision.
Additional Crime Categories: Hate Crimes & Juvenile Offenses
While most crime reports focus on “Index Crimes” such as murder, robbery, burglary, larceny, and auto theft, there are other categories of crime that are highly relevant to communities on Long Island. Two of these – hate crime incidents and juvenile or youth justice activity – receive separate tracking by New York State agencies due to their legal and social significance. These categories are not added into the Index Crime totals above.
Hate Crime Statistics
Hate crimes are defined under New York law as crimes motivated in whole or in substantial part by a belief or perception regarding a person’s race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected status. These incidents are tracked separately from general Index Crime statistics.
| Year | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30 incidents | 22 incidents | NYS DCJS hate crime county total data |
| 2023 | 31 incidents | 31 incidents | NYS DCJS hate crime county total data |
| 2022 | 28 incidents | 28 incidents | NYS DCJS hate crime county total data |
Note: Hate crime totals are relatively small compared to overall crime, but they carry disproportionate social impact. These figures depend on reporting, classification, investigation, and confirmation practices, and they may change as cases are reviewed or reclassified.
Juvenile Crime & Youth Justice Statistics
Juvenile and youth justice data refers to justice-system activity involving young people, including youth under 18 and categories affected by New York’s Raise the Age reforms. These cases may be handled in Family Court, Youth Part of Criminal Court, probation intake, diversion programs, or other specialized systems. Because some juvenile records are sealed and data is reported differently than adult crime data, youth justice statistics should not be compared directly with adult Index Crime totals.
| Category | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Latest Available Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Justice Tracking | Tracked through NYS youth justice and local probation systems | Tracked through NYS youth justice and local probation systems | NYS DCJS youth justice statistics |
| Most Common Youth-Related Offense Types | Often includes assault, larceny, criminal mischief, and related offenses | Often includes assault, larceny, burglary, criminal mischief, and related offenses | Based on state youth justice categories |
| Trend Direction | Long-term declines compared with older juvenile arrest levels, with year-to-year variation | Long-term declines compared with older juvenile arrest levels, with year-to-year variation | Consistent with statewide Raise the Age and diversion trends |
Note: Older juvenile-arrest snapshots should not be presented as current county totals. New York State now maintains youth justice statistics separately, and those figures are best treated as a specialized justice-system category rather than a direct extension of the adult Index Crime tables.
Why These Categories Are Not in the Main Crime Table
Hate crimes and juvenile or youth justice cases are reported through specialized systems rather than the standard Index Crime categories used to measure broad adult crime trends. For this reason, they are not included in consolidated county Index Crime totals – but they provide important insights into specific public-safety issues and community impacts.
Official Sources Used
For additional detail, the following official and public data sources publish updated crime and justice statistics:
- New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) – Index Crime data, dashboards, and statewide crime statistics.
- New York Open Data – Index Crimes by County and Agency datasets.
- DCJS Hate Crime Annual Reports and hate crime incident datasets.
- DCJS Youth Justice Statistics and youth justice reporting.
- U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program – County population estimates used for crime-rate calculations.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) and annual national crime reporting.
Data Last Updated: June 2026. Crime statistics, population estimates, and related data are periodically updated as new information becomes available from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other official government sources. Some datasets may lag one or more years behind the current calendar year due to reporting, verification, and publication schedules.
