NEW YORK, NY December 27, 2007 —REPORTER: Felony crimes in the city have dropped for the 17th consecutive year. This includes a 17% drop in homicides from last year and an 11% drop in rapes.

Mayor Bloomberg says that for the first time since records were kept, there will likely be less than 500 murders in 2007.

BLOOMBERG: If you go back to the early 90s, this was the worst city in the world for crime. Today, it's the best city in the United States. Just think about - you've gone from one extreme to another.

REPORTER: Crime committed in the transit system also dropped by 13% and the number of auto thefts went down by 16%.