A recent report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association reveals a swift decline in violent crime during the first half of the year.

Violent crimes, including homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults, saw a 6% decrease in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to police leader data. Homicides alone fell by 17% in the same timeframe.

This preliminary data monitors violent crimes across 69 major cities in the U.S. Notably, it does not encompass data from New York City, the largest city in the country. The New York Police Department has previously indicated a drop in violent crime during the first quarter of the year compared to the previous year.

Here’s how violent crime rates are shifting in several large U.S. cities:

Significant reductions in violent crime

In 2020, violent crime rates saw a surge linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive racial justice demonstrations. Experts have observed this surge diminish over the months, with various reports indicating that most violent crimes have reverted to levels seen in 2019.

An Axios analysis reported that Columbus, Ohio, experienced the most significant drop in violent crime, plummeting by 41%. Additionally, cities like Omaha, Nebraska, Miami, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, recorded drops exceeding 25%.

Though the complete FBI crime data for 2023 won’t be available until the fall, quarterly updates indicate a continuing decline in violent crime rates. It’s important to note that the FBI crime data has some limitations; about 79% of police departments submitted reports in the fourth quarter of 2023, and the FBI employs certain methods to account for missing data and provide estimates.

Jeff Asher, a crime data analyst based in New Orleans with a background in the CIA and the Department of Defense, previously told YSL News that the reduction in murders might be “potentially historically large.” He noted that preliminary FBI data for 2023 “illustrates” a substantial decline in overall crime.

Cities with reduced homicide rates

The Major Cities Chiefs Association indicated that in the first half of the year, homicide rates fell in 54 out of the 69 major cities analyzed.

The latest violent crime report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows a 17% decline in homicides during the first half of 2023 and 2024. Boston noted the most significant drop, with a 78% reduction in homicides during that same timeframe.

Philadelphia followed with a 42% decrease in its homicide rates between the first halves of 2023 and 2024.