After years of concerns that rising violent crime rates are plaguing American cities, it seems the country is finally turning a tide. Now, a new study has found violent crimes– namely homicides– have significantly dropped in 2025 alone, showing promise of a much safer America following the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Violent crime rose dramatically during the summer months of 2020, according to the Department of Justice. The homicide rate spiked by 37 percent nationally compared to the summer before, raising concerns that communities were unequipped to handle both the rising demand for safety and Covid fallout. But five years later, the numbers for 2025 show a very different U.S.
According to a new study from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), homicides fell over 20 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. This marks the largest single-year plummet in recent history, and it just might be the lowest murder rate since 1900, the CCJ reported.
The report analyzed 40 cities including Baltimore, New York City, Chicago and Atlanta and found that across the board, murders are decreasing and so are other forms of violent crime. Of the 13 types of crime that the CCJ tracked in these major cities, 11 crimes were low in every city.
Carjackings declined 61 percent since 2023, and shoplifting is down 10 percent since 2024, according to the study. But while on paper, these numbers look great, experts are still trying to pinpoint exactly what caused these major shifts.
Atlanta Police Chief Darren Schierbaum said this week that the city’s gun-related crimes have decreased since 2022. And for the first time since before the pandemic, Atlanta police recorded less than 100 homicides in 2025. Schierbaum attributed the 14 percent drop in murders to “de-escalating dispute.” He also called the Atlanta community to engage in more “conflict resolution.”
In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott reported the lowest murder rate in 50 years under his leadership, we told you. His administration’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan is a five-year strategy focused on expanding services for victims, investing in the youth– who is disproportionately tied to crime– and championing anti-human trafficking efforts. According to Scott, this has built trust within the community.
Mayor Scott said the work isn’t over. “This is not a time for celebration. One death is one too many,” he declared. “We will continue to double down on evidence-based strategies, as we work to finally cure the disease of violence that has plagued our communities for far too long.”
In many Democrat-led cities, a push for youth investment and preventative programs has cleared the path for more community and less violence. And it seems like all of these efforts are paying off.
The CCJ’s report also call into question President Donald Trump’s “tough on crime” agenda, which has fueled the sending of National Guard troops into cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.– two cities which reported low violent crime. The self-proclaimed law-and-order president has used high crime to also justify his immigration crackdown. The administration repeatedly linked migrants to the issue of rising crime in America… but who’s to blame if crime is actually falling and has been since before Trump took office?
According to the CCJ report, recent crime trends began during former President Joe Biden’s last year in office. As it stands, it’s unclear if any of Trump’s current policies have made any impacts on crime rates nation-wide. For now, what’s for certain is that Trump’s controversial policies have resulted in his worst approval rating to date.
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