Overview

• Council on Criminal Justice data show a 17% drop in homicide rates across 30 major U.S. cities during the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year.
• Denver led the declines with a 45% reduction, followed by Chicago at 33%, Baltimore at 24% and St. Louis at 22%.
• Atlanta achieved a 32% decrease in homicides with 49 killings investigated through midyear versus 72 last year, driven by targeted gun interdiction and youth employment programs.
• Other violent crimes also fell, including a 10% drop in aggravated assaults, a 20% decline in robberies, a 10% reduction in sexual assaults and 21 fewer gun assaults.
• Of 13 crime categories tracked, only motor vehicle theft remains above its 2019 pre-pandemic baseline.