Law & Order Returns: Violent Crime Falls Across Major U.S. Cities

For years, Americans watched as violent crime surged in the wake of the pandemic, civil unrest, and anti-police rhetoric. Now, new data reviewed by Axios shows a sharp and widespread decline in violent crime across many of the nation’s largest cities in 2025 — marking one of the most significant reversals in recent memory.

According to the report, homicide rates dropped substantially in dozens of major cities. Orlando and Tampa saw some of the steepest declines. Denver, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore also reported notable reductions.

The findings are based on a survey of 67 of the nation’s largest police departments, compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) and reviewed by Axios. The numbers show that violent crime — particularly homicide — has fallen sharply compared to the previous year.

Earlier national analyses also indicated that murder rates declined significantly year over year, representing one of the largest single-year drops in decades. While final FBI consolidated national figures are typically released later in the reporting cycle, preliminary data from city-level reporting aligns with the downward trend.

The U.S. experienced a dramatic increase in homicide in 2020 and 2021, widely documented by the FBI and independent researchers. Since then, crime trends have gradually reversed course. The 2025 data suggests that the decline is not only continuing but accelerating in several metropolitan areas.

Experts consistently stress that while the numbers are encouraging, crime remains uneven across neighborhoods and continued enforcement, prevention efforts, and community engagement remain critical.

The latest city-level data indicates that violent crime is falling across many major American cities — a development that stands in sharp contrast to the surge that dominated headlines just a few years ago.

While analysts urge caution in drawing sweeping political conclusions, the numbers themselves are clear: homicides and other violent offenses are trending downward in much of urban America.

For communities that endured years of instability and fear, the shift offers measurable progress — and a reminder that crime trends can change when policy, enforcement, and local engagement align.