Overview

• Homicide rates fell almost 20 percent across 30 of the nation’s largest cities through the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.
• Some cities outpaced the national decline with Denver reporting a 45 percent drop, Louisville 35 percent, Chicago 33 percent and Atlanta 32 percent fewer killings.
• Other violent crimes also saw substantial reductions including aggravated assaults, gun assaults, sexual assaults and robberies all down by double digits in early 2025.
• Local officials highlight targeted interventions on guns, gangs and drugs along with American Rescue Plan Act funding and violence-reduction grants as key drivers of the decline.
• Analysts caution that the causes of recent crime patterns are poorly understood and that progress could reverse if underlying social or economic conditions change.