Murders plunge 15% in America's biggest cities

Homicide rates in America's major cities dropped by 15% over the first nine months of 2026, according to a new report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. This decline follows a similar trend during the pandemic and continues under the current administration. The overall violent crime rate, which includes four categories - homicides, robberies, rapes, and aggravated assaults - decreased by 4.9% compared to the same period last year.

In all, 49 of the 66 reporting U.S. law enforcement agencies saw a decrease in homicides, while 15 saw an increase. The cities with the most significant homicide declines include Memphis, where the number of homicides dropped by 36.5%, from 156 to 99, and San Antonio, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C., all reporting declines of 36.5%, 33.6%, and 29.9% respectively.

However, the picture is not uniformly positive. New York City, which often serves as a contrast in crime statistics, reported a 24.5% increase in homicides and a 14.2% rise in robberies, resulting in a 5.1% rise in combined violent crime. San Diego and Las Vegas also saw increases in homicides, by 45.2% and 23.4% respectively. Washington, D.C. saw a 41.1% increase in robberies, pushing its violent crime total up 9.7%. Houston and Tulsa did not report data due to system transitions.