President Donald Trump's administration's crime initiatives have coincided with a record year-over-year decline in homicides, crime data shows.
Homicides are down about 20 percent this year compared with the same period in 2024, from January to October, according to an analysis by a crime data expert. Jeff Asher found. He quoted Real Time Crime Index (RTCI), which recently relied on data from 570 law enforcement agencies. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: White House Announces End-of-Year Progress on Urban Crime)
RTCI excludes manslaughter, self-defense, negligence, and accidental homicide. in accordance with site glossary. Although the data is currently valid until October and is officially FBI Violent Crime Statistics for 2025 won't be released until 2026, RTCI previously tracked federal data well, Axios reported.
President Donald Trump has made fighting violent crime a top priority of his second term. In August he published an order declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., and ordered The National Guard was activated to help crack down. The city has seen a nearly 28% drop in homicides this year, according to RTCI.
Homicides in the United States are at their lowest on record. https://t.co/88i9MO8Ul9
— Axios (@axios) December 24, 2025
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said in September that Trump's move had “immediate results in the nation's capital.” press releaseciting data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, DC. MPD found that the murder rate in August 2025 was down almost 60% compared to August 2024.
Trump signed July executive order aimed at combating crime and public disorder, authorizing federal support and resources to help local law enforcement combat violent crime and restore public safety.
The President also activated the National Guard. MemphisTennessee. The city saw a nearly 20% decrease in homicide rates from 2024 to 2025. in accordance with index.
Several major cities are seeing sharp declines in homicide rates compared to 2024. New YorkNew York City recorded a 17.6% decrease, New Orleans, Louisiana recorded a 7.5% decrease, and Los Angeles, California saw a nearly 19% decrease in homicides.
Crime rates across the country have been declining since 2021, according to RTCI. Federal Bureau of Investigation The data also showed this, according to Axios. RTCI reported “significant declines” across all types of crime and all population groups it tracked, Usher noted. (RELATED: How America's Capital Became a Haven for Crime)
In a small number of jurisdictions, homicide rates have risen sharply this year. In Gilbert, Arizona, and Johnston County, North Carolina, total homicides rose 600 percent, according to the index.
Usher went on to select the 30 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates in 2024, obtaining data through Nov. 29 and from Phoenix, Arizona through September. Homicides fell nearly 20%, according to the sample, suggesting a sharp decline this year is almost certain.
Other serious crime categories also fell across the country, with vehicle theft down 23.2%, aggravated assault down 7.5% and robbery down 18.3%.
