Sexual assault registered fresh spikes across three boroughs this month, with Bronx CD12 — Williamsbridge / Baychester posting the strongest single signal in the briefing. Brooklyn CD11 — Bensonhurst and Queens CD8 — Hillcrest / Fresh Meadows also appear in the top five with the same category. Three neighborhoods, one category, in one month — that concentration is the dominant pattern of March 2026.
Citywide volume is down 6.9% against the prior 12 months — 258,033 incidents against 277,228. The signal mix across 59 neighborhoods runs 59 sustained-shift signals and 50 below-trend signals alongside 19 spikes, meaning the broad directional decline holds even as localized increases emerge. Queens CD14 — Far Rockaway / Broad Channel and Brooklyn CD9 — South Crown Heights / Lefferts Gardens round out the top five with other-larceny and aggravated-assault spikes respectively.
The multi-category, multi-borough sexual assault pattern is new to the top rankings this briefing — lead run length is one month, with no prior recurring combo to displace. Whether this is a single-month cluster or the start of a sustained shift is not yet determinable from one month's data. The structural citywide decline remains in place; the sexual assault signals across three districts are the item to track in April's data.
Sustained drops worth naming
Arson ran below trend in the trailing 12 months — 39% down from the year before. Sustained shifts often precede a baseline reset; we surface them at the same prominence as spikes.
Public Analyst.ai, “March 2026 — New York,” archived snapshot.Permanent URL: /new-york/2026/march