Murder rates fall

THE murder rate in once crime-ridden New York is set to drop to an historic low.

Murder rates plunged by 8.4% across the entire state in the first six months of the year, according to FBI figures.

Meanwhile, police in New York City expect to record their lowest-ever murder rate this year.

It is a dramatic turnaround for a city which recorded a massive 2,245 murders in 1990, when some areas were virtual no-go areas.