Violent Crime Rate Drops In Major US Cities

A new report shows that violent crime dropped in many of the United States’ largest cities during the first half of 2026, and there was a more than 17 percent decline in the number of homicides.

A Major Cities Chiefs Association survey, which gathered data from 66 of the largest cities in the United States, was released on Aug. 5.

It showed that levels of multiple categories of violent crime decreased from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.

The number of homicides dropped by 17.2 percent during the first half of 2026, and the number of robberies fell by 16.6 percent, according to the Aug. 5 report.

Additionally, the number of rapes decreased by 6.2 percent, and the number of aggravated assaults dropped by 5.7 percent.

The combined totals for the four categories in the cities included in the survey represented a decrease of about 8.3 percent, about 14,200 fewer violent crimes.

The data shared by the Major Cities Chiefs Association showed that homicides dropped by 43.9 percent in Washington; 43.7 percent in Memphis, Tennessee; 64.7 percent in Newark, New Jersey; 63.6 percent in Raleigh, North Carolina; 52.4 percent in Boston; and 60 percent in Arlington, Texas.

The number of homicides also decreased by 60 percent in Baltimore County, Maryland; 58.8 percent in Aurora, Colorado; 50 percent in Miami; and 58.8 percent in Suffolk County, New York.

Laura Cooper, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, told The Epoch Times that the think tank’s latest violent crime survey demonstrated an “encouraging trend.”

“The declines are significant, and I believe reflect the sustained efforts of MCCA member agencies and their partners to address violent crime through targeted enforcement, intelligence-led strategies, and community engagement,” she said.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association noted that the statistics included in the report were based on preliminary data, not on a final report from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System.

The report came after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard last year to multiple cities across the United States, including Washington, in an effort to reduce crime.

The White House credited the drop in violent crime to the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime.