Public Safety Summary

Over the past two decades, Orange County has experienced shifts in public safety, law enforcement activity, and social outcomes. While many forms of crime have decreased overall compared to their mid-2000s peaks, some have shown a resurgence following the COVID-19 pandemic or remained relatively stable. Arrest data, domestic violence reports, and substance-related incidents highlight areas of both improvement and persistent challenges.

Index crimes, which combine measures of a specific set of eight serious violent crimes and property offences, have fluctuated somewhat over time but show an overall decline regionally. Orange County reported 23 index crimes per 1,000 people in 2007, 19 in 2015, and 11 in 2024. While Putnam County has consistently reported the fewest index crimes in the Hudson Valley region, all counties have shown a reduction in their numbers between 2007, 2015, and 2024. New York State overall has seen an increase between 2015 and 2024, but index crimes still stand lower in 2024 than in 2007.

Violent crime trends show a similar pattern of decline. Between 2007 and 2024, Orange County experienced a 36.9% reduction in violent offenses, declining from 1042 incidents in 2007, 918 incidents in 2015, to 658 incidents in 2024. Ulster County experienced the steepest decline—down 52.7% during the same time period—and recorded 215 violent crimes in 2024. Property crime, historically the largest component of total crime, has fallen over time. Orange County’s property crime rate declined from 20 per 1,000 residents in 2007 to 9 in 2024, and total incidents decreased from 7,739 in 2007 to 3,868 in 2024. However, the rate of decline has slowed, and annual totals remain significant. In 2024, Westchester County recorded the highest number of property crimes in the region with 9,215, while Putnam County reported the fewest at 455.

Offenses such as homicide remain relatively rare, though they exhibit cyclical variation. Orange County’s highest homicide rate—5.0 per 100,000 residents—occurred in 2001. Hate crimes in Orange County have remained relatively low but not static, increasing from 11 incidents in 2019 to 13 in 2023. In contrast, Putnam County has reported zero hate crimes in multiple recent years.

Adult arrests in Orange County declined from 8,602 in 2015 to 5,774 in 2020 before rising modestly to 6,868 by 2024. Demographic data show that arrests among Hispanic residents have grown and now nearly match those among White residents. Youth arrests have declined sharply since the mid-2000s, with juvenile delinquent arrests falling by more than 60% and Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) cases eliminated by 2020. While the PINS program still exists, it operates differently than in past years, following state reforms. Emphasis is now placed on diversion and community-based services before seeking Family Court intervention.

Vehicular offenses and hate crime prosecutions remain relatively infrequent. Between 2020 and 2024, Orange County recorded no aggravated vehicular homicide arrests; the highest annual total on record is two in 2018. Vehicular assault arrests occur irregularly, ranging from none to four per year, and involve mostly male defendants. At the state level, hate crime prosecutions have risen sharply, from 228 in 2018 to 422 in 2022.

Domestic violence continues to represent a significant portion of reported crime. Orange County recorded 1,389 domestic violence incidents in 2009 and 1,897 in 2023, the upward trend in absolute cases signals an ongoing need. In 2023, Westchester County reported the highest number of incidents at 2,290, while Putnam had the lowest with 91. Across the region, Westchester has also reported the most domestic violence–related homicides year over year. Child welfare data, by contrast, show gradual improvement. Reports of abuse and maltreatment in Orange County decreased from 10.4 per 1,000 children in 2000 to 8.7 in 2023, continuing a downward regional trend but still indicating hundreds of cases annually.

Among youth in Orange County, arrests for driving while ability impaired (DWAI) decreased from 65.9 per 100,000 in 2017 to 56.8 in 2022, reflecting a statewide decline. Still, alcohol-related motor vehicle injuries and deaths remain high compared with neighboring counties: Orange reported a rate of 46.0 per 100,000 in 2022, among the highest in the region, just below Sullivan’s 52.7. Westchester consistently recorded the lowest rates.

Policy changes surrounding cannabis legalization have produced mixed local responses. While the broader Mid-Hudson region contained 66 licensed dispensaries by October 2025, most of Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Orange County’s municipalities have largely chosen to opt out of allowing retail dispensaries and/or consumption sites. Approximately 74% of towns and 73% of villages in the Hudson Valley voted against allowing cannabis businesses within their jurisdictions.

Since 1965, Orange County has experienced almost 30 federally recognized disasters, mostly resulting from severe storms or flooding. Five of the recognized disasters occurred in the past five years. The COVID-19 pandemic was the only recorded biological emergency.