Violent crime in KC continues to drop
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Violent crime fell sharply in Kansas City in early 2026, mirroring a nationwide decline across America's largest cities that has continued since a pandemic-era spike.
Why it matters: Data from 67 major U.S. law enforcement agencies, including KCPD, show violent crime fell across most major categories during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025.
- The declines show up across every major region, suggesting a systemic, nationwide trend.
- The quarterly reports collected by the Major Cities Chiefs Association have been a good measure of trends that are reflected in the annual FBI crime data released in the fall.
Zoom in: In Kansas City, homicides fell 25% in the first three months of 2026, with KCPD reporting 27 killings compared with 36 during the same period last year.
- Robberies dropped 38.1%, from 265 to 164, and rapes fell 20.6%, from 97 to 77.
- Aggravated assaults rose 7.5%, from 1,151 to 1,237, the only major violent crime category in the city that increased during the quarter.
- In early January, homicides fell 5% in 2025 compared with 2024, the city's lowest annual total since 2018, according to KCPD.
Zoom out: Some of the nation's biggest cities posted especially dramatic homicide declines in the first three months of 2026.
- Among those that saw sizable percentage drops in homicide were Washington, D.C. (64.7%), Philadelphia (54%), San Diego (50%) and Memphis (34.4%).
- New York City experienced a 31.7% drop in homicides during Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first months in office.
Between the lines: The new numbers complicate the political narrative around crime heading into the 2026 midterms. President Trump has repeatedly described major Democratic-led cities as gripped by violent crime.
- Data show many urban areas have become significantly safer over the last two years, with drops beginning in the second half of the Biden presidency and continuing under Trump.
- Trump cited violent crime as his reason for sending federal troops last year to Chicago; Portland; Washington, D.C.; Memphis; and cities in California.
Yes, but: The recovery remains uneven. Some cities still reported increases in certain violent crime categories even as overall violence fell.
- Minneapolis, Atlanta and Virginia Beach, Virginia, were among the cities that posted overall increases in violent crime totals during the quarter, according to Axios' analysis of the MCCA data.
- Kansas City's aggravated assault increase put it among cities where one category climbed even as homicides and robberies fell sharply.
The bottom line: Kansas City and America's largest cities are getting safer in 2026 as crime remains one of the country's most politically potent issues.