Homicides fell 15.2% across 66 major U.S. police jurisdictions during the first nine months of 2026, extending a nationwide decline in violent crime under President Donald Trump, according to a report released November 9 by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

The report compared offenses recorded between January 1 and September 30 with the same period in 2025. Across the four categories measured, homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, reported offenses declined by a combined 4.9%, representing 13,822 fewer crimes. Fifty-one of the 66 participating law enforcement agencies recorded an overall decrease.

The jurisdictions reported 3,394 homicides, down 606 from 4,000 during the first nine months of 2025. Robberies declined 9.1%, rapes fell 3.5%, and aggravated assaults decreased 3.4%. Aggravated assaults remained the largest category, with 189,474 reported cases, followed by 57,209 robberies and 20,483 rapes.

Several major cities recorded particularly sharp homicide declines. Memphis, Tennessee, reported 99 killings, down from 156, a 36.5% decrease. San Antonio recorded the same percentage decline, while Indianapolis saw homicides fall 33.6% and Philadelphia reported a 21.2% reduction. Aurora, Colorado, recorded a 65.2% decline, and Newark, New Jersey, saw homicides decrease 59.1%.

Other cities moved in the opposite direction. New York City reported increases across all four violent crime categories, with homicides rising 24.5%, from 192 to 239, and robberies increasing 14.2%. The city's combined total for the four categories rose 5.1%. San Diego recorded a 45.2% increase in homicides, while Las Vegas reported a 23.4% rise.

Washington, D.C., reported 29.9% fewer homicides, but robberies increased 41.1%, contributing to a 9.7% increase in the city's combined offenses.

The latest findings follow a substantial decline in national crime reported by the FBI. Its August report estimated that violent crime fell 9.3% nationwide in 2025, while homicides declined 18.1%. The national murder rate reached 4.1 per 100,000 residents, matching levels recorded in 1955 and 1956 and representing the lowest rate since the FBI began producing national estimates in 1936.

Separate research from the Council on Criminal Justice found that the homicide decline began during the second half of 2022, under President Joe Biden, and continued into 2026. Its July analysis found that homicide rates across 30 cities fell another 18% during the first half of this year. The rate was 51% below the same period in 2022 and 31% below the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers have pointed to several possible factors behind the decline, including policing strategies, technology and broader social changes. However, the Council on Criminal Justice cautioned that its findings do not establish whether any particular policy caused the reduction or identify a single explanation for the trend.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association also cautioned that its figures are preliminary and should not be treated as a final FBI crime report. Houston did not submit data because of a transition to a new records system, while changes to Tulsa's records system and federal reporting format complicated comparisons. The figures reflect reported offenses and are not adjusted for population.