Criminals took the day off in New York on Monday, as the city passed a day without a single report of a person being shot, stabbed, or subject to other sorts of violent crime.

New York Police Department (NYPD) chief spokesman Paul Browne said it was the "first time in memory" the city's police force had experienced such a peaceful day.

He said the city's murder rate was now on target to hit its lowest point since 1960.

While crime is up 3 per cent overall, including a 9 per cent surge in grand larceny police attribute to a rash of smart phone thefts, murder is down 23 per cent over the past year.

As for a day without violent crime, experts said they could not recall that happening in recent memory.

"In a city of 8 million people, this is extremely rare," said Tom Repetto, author of American Police, 1949-2012.

There have been 366 murders so far this year in New York, compared with 472 at this time last year, the NYPD said.

By comparison, Chicago, Illinois - a city of about 2,707,000 people that has been plagued by gang violence in 2012 - has registered 462 murders so far this year, according to the Chicago Police Department.

In Philadelphia, a city of about 1,536,000 people, there have been 301 murders so far this year, the exact same number as this time last year, the Philadelphia Police Department reports.

Repetto attributed New York's success to "pro-active" police department tactics, including its controversial stop-and-frisk policy.

While critics say the dramatic increase in stops has not led to a similar rise in gun seizures, police officials say proactive tactics have made criminals think twice about taking their guns out on the street.

Reuters