Violent Crime Sees Steady Decline Across U.S. Cities in 2025

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Violent crime in the United States is on a notable downward trend, with recent figures showing continued declines in homicides, gun assaults, and other serious offenses throughout major cities during the first half of 2025.

According to a newly released analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank focused on crime policy data from 42 U.S. cities, a 17% drop in homicides during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. While a handful of cities, such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Little Rock, Arkansas, did report increases in homicide rates, the overall decline is largely driven by decreases in high-crime areas like Baltimore and St. Louis.

Gun assaults, carjackings, and motor vehicle thefts have also trended downward, with gun-related attacks falling by 21%, carjackings dropping 24%, and auto thefts down 25% from the previous year. Robberies, shoplifting, and aggravated assaults posted double-digit decreases, signaling a broader shift toward lower crime levels. The analysis, however, emphasized that more than half of the cities studied still maintain homicide rates above pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.

The Council on Criminal Justice advised caution in attributing the decline to any specific policy, noting the need for further research. The report suggested fewer people are being exposed to high-risk situations, such as street robberies and public assaults, which could be a contributing factor.

Separate data from AH Datalytics, a national data consulting firm that oversees the Real-Time Crime Index, a tool aggregating crime statistics from over 400 police departments, found a 20.3% decrease in homicides nationwide between January and May 2025, compared to the same span in 2024. Similarly, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which represents senior law enforcement leaders across major U.S. metropolitan areas, reported nearly a 20% drop in homicides for the first quarter of the year.

Despite political claims circulating on social media regarding a so-called surge in violent crime, the factual trend points in the opposite direction. While public discourse around issues like bail reform remains heated, the data paints a more complex and improving picture.

When compared with figures from the first half of 2019, the report shows homicides have declined by 14%, robberies by 30%, and sexual assaults by 28%. Motor vehicle thefts are the only major crime category that remains elevated since the pandemic, though those numbers have also fallen significantly since 2023.

Although the causes behind this nationwide decline remain under study, the trend is a welcome sign for many communities working to strengthen public safety and restore confidence in local policing.