Murder Rates in Major Cities Reach Lowest Level in 126 Years

Study Shows Decline in Homicide Rates in Major U.S. Cities

White House press secretary Caroline Levitt highlighted a recent study indicating that homicide rates in major American cities have dropped to their lowest levels in over 125 years during a press conference on Thursday.

During the conference, Levitt referred to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice. “According to this study, the homicide rate in the largest U.S. cities has fallen to its lowest since at least 1900,” she pointed out. “This represents the most significant single-year decrease in recorded history.”

She attributed this steep decline to measures taken by the president, including securing the borders, enhancing federal law enforcement to capture violent criminals, and deporting serious offenders among illegal immigrants.

Levitt also mentioned that the FBI made twice as many arrests for violent crimes in 2025 compared to 2024, which was the last full year of Joe Biden’s presidency. In fact, in Trump’s first full year, there was nearly a 200 percent increase in overall FBI arrests from January 20, 2024, to January 20, 2025.

“Additionally, the FBI dismantled 1,800 gangs and criminal organizations, which is an increase of 210 percent from the previous year. They also arrested 1,700 child predators and over 300 human traffickers across the country,” she said. “Since President Trump took office, six of the FBI’s top 10 most wanted fugitives have been apprehended.”

In Washington, D.C., where Trump federalized the police force last year and deployed the National Guard, crime rates have significantly decreased in nearly every category compared to the same time last year. As of Thursday, there had been three homicides in the capital this year, an 83 percent drop from 18 homicides from January 1 to February 5, 2025.

Other crime categories also saw reductions: sexual abuse crimes dropped by 63 percent, robberies by 58 percent, auto thefts by 58 percent, and arson incidents were down by 100 percent.

“President Trump has made a commitment to restore safety and beauty to Washington, D.C. Now, it’s one of the safest cities in the nation,” White House press secretary Taylor Rogers stated in a comment to Breitbart News on Monday. “Thanks to the success of Trump’s federal law enforcement strategies, crime and homicides have significantly decreased in our nation’s capital.”