New York City in 1971 might seem seedily romantic today, but in reality it was a battlefield. That year, almost 1,500 people were murdered. Fast-forward to 2010, when there have been only 486 homicides.

Why do people confess to crimes they didn’t commit?

They’re younger, harder to catch, and quicker to violence. Who holds sway where.

Why is a boy a more compelling killer than his mother?

Our roundup of news from around the city.

In prison he doesn’t have to hide his lack of conscience. In fact, he’s a hero for it.

Murder victims and perpetrators from the last year.

The long-serving NYPD commissioner is autocratic, dismissive of civil-liberties concerns—and effective. Is that a reasonable trade-off to keep the city safe?

The failed attack on Times Square was a reminder that terrorists can build deadly bombs in the comfort of their tri-state-area homes.

Get ready for another round of unsettling changes you won’t even notice six months from now.