Aurora sees one of nation’s steepest homicide drops

Aurora homicides plunged nearly 60% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier, data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows.

Why it matters: The decline was among the survey's steepest and far exceeded aggregated drops among major-city agencies nationwide.

State of play: Aurora recorded seven homicides January through June, down from 17 during the same period in 2025.

• Nationally, homicides fell 17.2% among the 66 responding U.S. agencies.
• Robberies declined 16.6%, rapes dropped 6.2% and aggravated assaults decreased 5.7%.

Yes, but: Denver's homicides went the opposite direction. In the survey, the city's count rose 30% — from 20 to 26.

Yes, but: The data is preliminary, not final Uniform Crime Reporting Program or National Incident-Based Reporting System reports.

• The MCCA review represents raw counts rather than population-adjusted rates.