Homicides have fallen sharply in these five cities - and across the U.S.

"The rate of homicides has plummeted nationwide and, in 2025, is trending toward its lowest level in decades. The steady decline has reversed the surge of slayings seen during the peak of the covid-19 pandemic. Homicides are down nearly 20 percent this year in the 52 major U.S. cities that report such data monthly, according to a Washington Post analysis."

"The large projection screen displayed the faces of dozens of people who Baltimore city leaders believed had potential. Potential to succeed at school or a good job, to find purpose and a good life. Potential, as Mayor Brandon Scott often says, to be a resource for Baltimore to invest in rather than a problem to solve. But the city had also identified these people - mostly men, all connected to recent violence - as those with the highest potential to shoot or be shot next."

Homicide rates have fallen sharply across the United States in 2025, moving toward the lowest levels seen in decades. The decline has reversed the surge in killings that occurred during the covid-19 pandemic peak. In 52 large U.S. cities that report monthly, homicides are down nearly 20 percent this year. Five U.S. cities have shown some of the biggest declines since 2021. Baltimore experienced a pronounced drop — 61 percent fewer homicides compared with the same period in 2021 — and is using a Group Violence Reduction Strategy that identifies high-risk individuals and coordinates police, clergy, life coaches and outreach workers to intervene.

Read at The Washington Post