Actually, Times Square is one of the safest places in New York.

Last year, there were about 2,600 major crimes reported in the Midtown South Precinct, which includes Times Square, according to the police. That’s a drastic drop from 1990, when nearly 23,000 major crimes were recorded.

As of July 28, there have been no shootings reported this year in the precinct. (Over the same period last year, three people had been shot in one incident.)

Spaces for pedestrians have also bolstered safety. About 10 years ago, the city began rerouting traffic to build plazas in Times Square.

City officials have said the plazas reduced the number of pedestrians being hit by cars by 35 percent. The number of drivers and passengers struck by other motorists dropped by 63 percent.

Times Square is safe, according to the data, but Americans may not feel safe there.

Of course, major destinations like airports have long had enhanced security. Increasingly, places where crowds gather — Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Citi Field — have added additional protections.

One of the last major incidents near Times Square occurred in December 2017, when a man detonated a bomb in a crowded subway passageway between the square and Port Authority stations. The man, Akayed Ullah, was injured and later found guilty of federal terrorism charges.

In May 2017, a Honda Accord plowed into a sidewalk full of pedestrians and crashed three blocks later, killing one person and injuring 22.