The Major Cities Chiefs Association compared violent-crime reports from Jan.–Sep. 2025 with the same period in 2024 and found nationwide declines in homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Despite the overall drop — including homicides falling to 4,143 from 5,126 — several cities, such as Omaha, Atlanta, Columbus, parts of Los Angeles County, Tampa, Wichita, Pittsburgh, Denver and Philadelphia, reported local increases in one or more categories. The MCCA cautions the data are preliminary and voluntarily reported, highlighting the uneven, city-level nature of crime trends.
Survey: Violent Crime Falls Nationwide in 2025, But Several Major Cities See Local Increases
Major cities see violent crime surge as national rates plummet significantly in 2025: survey
Violent crime fell across the United States between January and September 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to a new survey from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). However, the survey also highlights a number of major cities and metropolitan areas that bucked the national trend with year-over-year increases in one or more violent-crime categories.
Key National Findings
The MCCA compared reports of four violent-crime categories for Jan.–Sep. 2025 versus Jan.–Sep. 2024 and found decreases nationwide in each category:
Police gather in Atlanta on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
- Homicide: 4,143 (2025) vs. 5,126 (2024)
- Rape/Sexual Assault: 20,407 (2025) vs. 21,728 (2024)
- Robbery: 66,501 (2025) vs. 81,860 (2024)
- Aggravated Assault: 194,804 (2025) vs. 216,466 (2024)
The association cautioned that the figures are preliminary and based on voluntary reporting by participating law-enforcement agencies.
Where Local Trends Diverged
Despite national improvements, the MCCA survey identified several cities and metro areas that recorded increases in one or more violent-crime categories during the same January–September window:
Suffolk County Police respond to a crime scene.
- Omaha: Increases reported across all four categories — homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
- Atlanta: Year-over-year rises in rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
- Columbus: Increases in robbery and aggravated assault.
- Los Angeles County: The Sheriff’s Department reported increases in rape and aggravated assault.
- Tampa: Recorded increases in rape and robbery.
- Suburban County East of New York City: Reported increases in homicide and robbery.
- Wichita: Year-over-year increases in homicide and rape.
- Pittsburgh: Reported upticks in rape and aggravated assault while other violent-crime categories fell.
- Denver: Noted an increase in rape in the Jan.–Sep. comparison.
- Philadelphia: Recorded a rise in rape despite national declines.
Police chiefs and officials emphasized that these local upticks demonstrate the uneven, place-specific nature of crime trends and underscore the importance of examining local conditions, policing strategies and community interventions.
Federal Attention
The report comes as federal authorities have stepped up crime-focused operations in several cities. The administration deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., earlier this year to assist local police — an example of heightened federal involvement in violent-crime responses.
Note: All figures are preliminary and based on voluntary reporting to the MCCA. Final, agency-verified numbers may differ.
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