February 12, 2026 — Last year, violent crime across major cities in the US experienced a steep drop — this according to a statistical analysis released by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

After violent crime spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis reflected an overall downward trend in recent years, according to year-end statistics created by the FBI through 2024.

A Major Cities Chiefs Association survey, compiled from statistics from 67 of 68 responding law enforcement agencies and released in February, showed that homicides were down by more than 19% last year. Robberies had dropped 20%, rape was down nearly 9% and aggravated assault had decreased by almost 10% last year as compared to 2024, according to the report.

A similar report from the Council on Criminal Justice, released in January, also showed steep decreases in violent crimes.

The Council examined year-end crime statistics from 40 large cities and found that homicides declined 21% last year compared with 2024, reportedly the largest single-year decline on record.

As for the reason for the steep decline in murders and other violent crimes that occurred in 2025, analysts say it’s a combination of precise policing tactics along with technological advancements. They also pointed out preventive measures, such as violence interrupters, as well as the court system finally clearing backlogs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Chicago, for example, homicides dropped from 587 in 2024 to 417 in 2025, according to the data.

Houston, meanwhile, saw a drop in aggravated assault from 18,590 in 2024 to 15,378 last year, according to the report.

The records show that in Los Angeles, robberies went down from 8,593 in 2024 to 7,278.