President Donald Trump’s administration’s criminal initiatives coincided with a record one-year decline in homicides, according to crime data.
Homicides are down about 20% so far this year compared to the same period in 2024 — from January to October, according to an analysis by a crime data expert. Jeff Asher Found. He pointed out Real time crime index (RTCI), which draws its most recent history from 570 law enforcement agencies. (RELATED: Exclusive: White House reveals success of city’s end-of-year anti-crime campaign)
RTCI excludes manslaughter, self-defense, negligence, and accidental homicide. according to Site glossary. While the data currently lasts through October and the FBI’s official violent crime statistics for 2025 won’t be released until 2026, the RTCI has previously tracked well on federal data, Axios reported. I mentioned.
President Donald Trump has made combating violent crime a top priority in his second term. In August, it is Issued An executive order declared a state of criminal emergency in Washington, D.C., and ordered the deployment of the National Guard to assist in the crackdown. The city saw a nearly 28% drop in homicides this year, according to RTCI.
Murders in the United States are on track for their largest one-year decline ever https://t.co/88i9MO8Ul9
— Axios (@Axios) December 24, 2025
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump’s move produced “immediate results in the nation’s capital” in September. press releaseciting data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC. MPD Found Homicide crimes decreased by about 60% in August 2025 compared to August 2024.
Trump I fell An executive order issued in July targets crime and public disorder by authorizing federal support and resources to help local law enforcement combat violent crime and restore public safety.
The President also deployed the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee. The city saw a nearly 20% drop in homicides from 2024 to 2025. according to Index.
Several major cities saw sharp declines in homicides compared to 2024. New York City, New York, reported a 17.6% drop, New Orleans, Louisiana, reported a 7.5% drop, and Los Angeles, California, reported a nearly 19% drop in homicides.
RTCI data indicates a decline in crime rates nationwide since 2021. Federal Bureau of Investigation The data showed this as well, according to Axios. Asher noted that RTCI has reported “significant declines” in all types of crime and all demographic groups it tracks. (Related: How America’s Capital Became a Safe Haven for Crime)
A small number of jurisdictions have seen sharp increases in homicides this year. Both Gilbert, Arizona, and Johnston County, North Carolina, saw total homicides rise by 600 percent, according to the index.
Asher also sampled the 30 US cities with the highest number of homicides in 2024, obtaining data for 29 cities through November, and from Phoenix, Arizona, through September. Homicides are down about 20%, suggesting a sharp decline this year is certain, according to the sample.
Other major crime categories also declined nationwide, with motor vehicle theft falling by 23.2%, aggravated assaults by 7.5%, and burglary by 18.3%.