Violent crime dropped sharply across America's biggest cities in 2025, according to new data reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: The stats were yet another sign that violent crime in the U.S. was starkly different from what President Trump cited as his reason for sending federal troops to Chicago, Portland, Washington, D.C., Memphis and cities in California.

Zoom in: Huntsville Police recently pointed out declining crime rates, too, including an 18% drop in violent crime from 2024-25.

• Citing officer presence, inter-agency collaboration, community cooperation and city investment, HPD also said robberies were down 28% and aggravated assaults down 20%.

The big picture: The report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) shows declines across every major violent-crime category in 2025 compared to 2024. It 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%.
• Robberies dropped about 20%.
• Aggravated assaults were down nearly 10%.

Zoom out: Multiple Southern and Sun Belt cities were among the biggest homicide decliners, an Axios analysis of the MCCA data found.

• Florida cities Orlando and Tampa headlined the list with more than a 50% decline in homicides, according to the Axios review.
• Western cities such as Denver, Seattle, Honolulu, and Albuquerque, N.M., also posted large homicide drops.
• These cities were among the hardest hit during the pandemic-era crime surge, and are now seeing some of the fastest reversals.

Between the lines: Chicago and Baltimore both experienced around a 30% drop in homicides last year, an Axios review of the MCCA data found.

• Memphis and Portland both saw about a 25% decline.

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.

Construction is underway at John Hunt Park on the Joy McKee Arboretum, newly named to honor a longtime steward of Huntsville's green spaces.

Why it matters: City landscapers saw an opportunity to preserve history, support native trees and urban canopy, give visitors a nature break and educate the public in an unused corner of the park.

Zoom in: The $400,000 arboretum spans three acres along Alex McAllister Drive — between the Get-A-Way Skatepark and the championship soccer fields — and aims to showcase native trees and plants.

• The city plans to open the arboretum in May, weather permitting, said Brian Walker, Huntsville's director of Landscape Management & Green Team.

Zoom out: The city will seek a Level II arboretum designation from the Arbor Day Foundation, a certification requiring at least 100 labeled tree or woody plant species and a "commitment to public education and collections management."

• That designation "makes us like a living museum," Nikole Sothers, manager of the city's Landscape Management Department, told Axios.

How it works: The city will create dry creeks, rises and dips to represent the ecosystems around Huntsville where the featured trees can be found in the wild, from the heights of Monte Sano to the bogs of Hampton Cove.

• Alongside oaks, shagbark hickories, bald cypresses, river birches and the seedless Cherokee Sweetgum, the arboretum will include art installations and educational assets like QR codes to educate visitors about the trees.

Catch up quick: The arboretum emerged as a concept about two years ago, Walker told Axios.

• It received a $50,000 donation from the Rotary Club last year, and more donations are expected, he said. Work like irrigation, fencing and concrete is being done in-house by city crews.
• Mature dogwood trees planted in the early 1950s for the first terminal building at the old Huntsville Airport will also be preserved and incorporated into the layout.
• The arboretum will also include 20 or so magnolia trees from the magnolia garden from the old city hall, City Arborist Marc Byers said.

Read the whole story

🐕 Huntsville Animal Services is seeking help from the public as it reaches its highest capacity level, Crisis Level 4, for dogs at the shelter after taking 77 dogs from a single address. (News release)

⚙️ The fifth annual Engineering Showcase at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, signature event of Engineers Week Feb. 22-28, is set for Feb. 24 5-7pm. (UAH)

🎤 Chart-topping rapper J. Cole was at Alabama A&M last week, celebrating the release of his album, "The Fall-Off." (AL.com)

🚿 Monte Sano's 14 historic Civilian Conservation Corps-constructed cabins have been renovated, updating the 1930s-era buildings with modern amenities. (News release)

Local leaders gathered at the Dr. Robert Shurney Legacy Center to celebrate Arbor Day and recognize those making sure Huntsville remains a Tree City.

The big picture: Huntsville's 35th year as a Tree City USA was noted, and awards were given out including the Tree Hero Award, awarded to John Allen for his work establishing the Huntsville Tree Commission and efforts to bolster the city's canopy.

• The event included students from James Dawson Elementary, who read poems and showcased posters they made in honor of Arbor Day.
• Smokey Bear, and the Alabama A&M FireDawgs were on hand to talk about fire safety and trees, and a tree was planted behind the center to mark the occasion.

Yes, but: Isn't Arbor Day in April?

• Nationally, yes, though different states set different dates to align with the best tree-planting times. For Alabama, that's the last week in February.