NEW YORK - The new year is just a month old, but it's already off to a record low start for crime across the city.

The NYPD's latest figures show serious crime across the five boroughs fell 9.2 percent in January, compared with the same time last year.

Only 18 murders have been reported so far, compared with 22 last January.

But the number of shooting victims is up 17.5 percent.

Last year was the safest year on record for the city since 1951.