The Triangle continues to see homicides fall from the pandemic peak
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The Triangle's two largest cities joined a national trend in seeing declining homicides since the pandemic, according to local and national data.
Why it matters: After surging during the pandemic, homicides in Raleigh and Durham remain down significantly from their peak in 2022.
The big picture: A report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) found declines across every major violent-crime category in 2025 compared to 2024, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.
- The report features data from 67 of the nation's biggest police departments, and confirms other studies on last year's declines.
- Cities report that homicides overall fell 19%.
Driving the news: In Raleigh, there were 28 homicides in 2025, up from 27 in 2024. But the numbers still remain well below their peak.
- Raleigh's homicides peaked in 2022 with 49, and last year represented a nearly 45% decline from then.
- Violent crime overall in Raleigh fell 1%, ABC11 reported.
In Durham, there were 38 homicides in 2025, down from 40 in 2024.
- Many of the city's major crime categories also fell last year, including an 11% decline in rape, 10% in robberies and 22% in aggravated assault.
Between the lines: Raleigh and Durham's police departments are going through a period of transition.
- Rico Boyce, a longtime veteran of the department, is in his first year as Raleigh's chief of police, and Durham's police chief Patrice Andrews is set to retire this year.
Reality check: Violent crime rates in many cities have been falling significantly since former President Biden's last two years in office, following a COVID-era crime wave that began in 2020, the final year of Trump's first term.
The bottom line: Experts aren't sure why violent crime continues to fall.
- One study suggested that the homicide surge of 2020 was driven largely by men and teen boys who were either laid off or saw their schools close during pandemic shutdowns.