Why it matters: Stats compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) indicate that the COVID-era crime wave has almost faded away — even as some officials, including President Trump, falsely claim that immigrants are driving increased crime rates.
The big picture: Homicides in the nation's largest cities fell by 21% in the first three months of 2025 from the same period of last year, as overall violent crime continued its post-pandemic drop.
Overall, violent crimes — robberies, rapes and aggravated assaults — decreased by an average of 14% in the first quarter of this year, an Axios review of MCCA data shows.
Yes, but: A few cities did have large jumps in homicides in the first three months of 2025, the MCCA data show.
Fort Worth saw a 112% spike in homicides. Houston had a 21% increase and Kansas City saw a 31% jump.
Context: The data reflect reports from police departments in 68 cities, except New York City, which didn't submit crime numbers.
Zoom out: Some cities have seen larger declines than Dallas, including Denver (58%), Honolulu (82%) and Minneapolis (54%).
