NEW YORK (AFP) - New York police have published an interactive map of crime data across the city of 8.4 million that allows the public to pinpoint theft and violence in their neighbourhoods.

The online resource is the latest service offered by the largest police department in the United States (US) that has presided over an astonishing fall in violent crime over the last two decades.

The map, available at http://maps.nyc.gov/crime/, enables people to search and access basic data on crime in their street, neighbourhood or zip code across all five boroughs.

From January 2012 to October 2013, people can track by month or year to know the rates of murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary and grand larceny per 1,000 residents.

New York, once notorious for its violent crime, now trumpets itself as the safest large city in the US with its lowest murder rate in 50 years.

"This administration has relied on data to drive its crime fighting," said New York City police chief Ray Kelly.

"And this map helps enhance New Yorkers' and researchers' understanding of where felony and violent crime persists."

Users can view the data illustrated as blue dots showing crime incidents per 1,000 residents or as a "heat map" with worst-hit areas glowing yellow and orange on the screen.

The resource may also aid tourists to the Big Apple, where visitor numbers are set to reach a record 54.3 million in 2013.