Hochul is the 57th governor of the state, having ascended to the office from lieutenant governor after the resignation of Andrew Cuomo in August 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations that were made against him by several women. She is currently running for reelection against her Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, who represents New York’s 1st Congressional District.

While Hochul has maintained a steady lead against Zeldin in the traditionally blue state, polling for the race has tightened as Republicans have shifted their focus to issues about crime. During her appearance on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour, host Stephanie Ruhle pressed Hochul on such issues in New York City.

“Here’s the problem: we don’t feel safe,” Ruhle said, in response to Hochul’s assertion that no governor has spent more money on public safety than her. “You may be working closely with [NYC] Mayor [Eric] Adams, you may have spent a lot of money, but I walk into my pharmacy and everything is on lockdown cause of shoplifters.”

Ruhle added that city residents do not feel safe despite efforts by local and state officials to address things like subway safety, specifically citing fears that New York City could become like San Francisco. The West Coast city has become a focal point for complaints about crime in cities, with SFGATE reporting last month the rates of violent and property crimes had risen in August and September this year compared to the same time last year.

In response, Hochul cited a number of promising downward crime trends in the city.

“We’ll never be San Francisco…Because we are already making a difference,” Hochul said. “We already have homicides and shootings down dramatically…from what they had been last year…And that’s the most heinous of all crimes.”

A report that the New York State government released last week mostly backs up Hochul’s claim and provides a greater historical context. As of October 30, murder rates were down in New York City compared to the same time last year by about 14 percent. To Ruhle’s original point citing shoplifting, other crimes, like theft, burglary, and grand larceny, have risen over the same period, in some cases by well over 30 percent.

The report also compared 2021 statistics to years from decades past, showing that despite conservative fears, almost every sort of crime rate is drastically lower in New York City now. For example, the city saw fewer than 500 murders last year, compared to well over 2,000 in 1990.

Hochul continued, explaining that one type of crime that has been on the rise this year is grand theft auto, due to the resale value of catalytic converters. The governor said that she recently signed a law requiring parts dealers to implement new standards for such sales, banning the sale of cars or parts if someone cannot prove that they know the owner of the vehicle.

Newsweek reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.

Media figures like Ruhle have faced criticism during this election cycle for pushing crime as a rising issue based on “feeling,” despite statistics showing rates dropping in many places. Despite the fact that blue states like New York and California have received considerable criticism over crime, FBI and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that violent crime is worse in Oklahoma than in either state.

When this fact was mentioned in a debate last month by Joy Hofmeister, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Oklahoma, incumbent Republican Governor Kevin Stitt used a similar appeal to feeling, asking residents if they “believe” such statistics, local news station KWTV reported.