FBI REPORTS HISTORIC 9.3% DROP IN VIOLENT CRIME AS MORE THAN 17,000 AGENCIES CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONAL CRIME DATA

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — Violent crime in the United States declined by an estimated 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, marking the largest year-over-year reduction in the national violent crime rate since the FBI began producing crime estimates in 1936. The latest federal statistics also show an 18.1% decrease in murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, reflecting a substantial reduction in several major categories of reported criminal activity.

The findings were highlighted October 19, 2026, by Timothy A. Ferguson, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Ferguson emphasized the extensive reporting network responsible for collecting and processing the information used to measure national crime trends.

According to the FBI’s 2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation statistics, more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies submitted information covering approximately 96.2% of the U.S. population. Participating agencies included municipal police departments, county sheriff’s offices, state law enforcement organizations, tribal agencies, and university and college police departments.

The figures represent a major national reporting effort involving more than 13 million criminal offenses documented in the FBI’s detailed 2025 data tables. The CJIS Division processes information submitted through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which provides standardized measurements of criminal activity across jurisdictions with different laws, reporting procedures, and administrative systems.

The decrease in violent crime extended across all four major offense categories used in the FBI’s national violent crime estimates. Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter declined by 18.1%, robbery fell by 18.5%, rape decreased by 7.6%, and aggravated assault dropped by 7.2%.

Property crime also declined, falling an estimated 12.4% nationally. The FBI’s annual statistics place the 2025 murder rate at approximately 4.1 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, tying the rates recorded in 1955 and 1956 for the lowest estimated national murder rate in the bureau’s historical series.

The reductions followed another year of declining violent crime in 2024. The FBI’s latest findings establish that the downward trend continued into 2025, although changes in individual communities may differ from the national figures. A nationwide decrease does not establish that every city, county, or state experienced the same level of improvement.

The FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) plays an important role in developing that more detailed picture. Unlike traditional summary reporting, NIBRS captures information about individual incidents, including the offenses involved, victim and offender characteristics when available, relationships between individuals, and circumstances surrounding reported crimes.

More than 15,000 agencies submitted NIBRS data for 2025, representing nearly 90% of the U.S. population. The continued expansion of incident-based reporting has strengthened the FBI’s ability to examine patterns that cannot be fully understood through aggregate offense totals alone.

The UCR Program also receives information through the Summary Reporting System, allowing agencies using different reporting methods to contribute to national crime estimates. Standardizing those submissions requires local and state offense classifications to be aligned with federal reporting definitions before the information can be incorporated into national statistics.

That process is managed through the CJIS Division, which collects crime information from all 50 states and makes the resulting data available through the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer. The system provides access to monthly reporting information, annual statistical releases, and specialized publications examining particular crime categories and public safety concerns.

Ferguson reported that the UCR Program processes more than 700 million data points while preparing its annual national crime publication. The division also develops targeted reports addressing criminal activity in schools, aggravated assaults involving firearms, and offenses affecting juveniles and families.

The FBI’s 2025 data also recorded a decline in reported hate crime incidents. For agencies meeting the bureau’s comparable reporting criteria, hate crime incidents decreased approximately 7%, from 11,404 in 2024 to 10,606 in 2025.

That comparison uses a defined set of agencies reporting sufficient data in both years. It is distinct from the broader national totals and should not be interpreted as a complete count of every hate-motivated offense occurring throughout the country.

The annual figures reflect offenses reported to participating law enforcement agencies and the statistical estimates derived from those submissions. They do not measure every crime that occurred, including incidents never reported to police. Reporting participation, data completeness, and differences in local practices remain important considerations when interpreting national crime statistics.

The CJIS Division’s responsibilities extend beyond statistical reporting. Its National Crime Information Center (NCIC) maintains criminal justice records used by authorized agencies to identify wanted individuals, locate missing persons, and access information concerning stolen property and other law enforcement matters.

The Interstate Identification Index supports the exchange of criminal history information among authorized agencies. These records are used in investigations and legally authorized background checks, including screening for positions involving access to children and other vulnerable populations.

Another major CJIS service, the Next Generation Identification system, provides fingerprint identification and additional biometric capabilities that assist investigators in identifying suspects, victims, and individuals whose identities cannot readily be established through conventional records.

The division also operates the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which supports federally required background checks associated with firearm purchases from licensed dealers.

Ferguson identified the National Threat Operations Center as another significant part of CJIS operations. The center receives and processes information submitted by the public, evaluates potential threats, and distributes actionable intelligence to appropriate federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities.

The FBI reported that Super Intelligence capabilities have been incorporated into the center’s tip-triage operations to improve the speed and precision with which incoming information is prioritized. The bureau described the technology as supporting the identification of high-priority threats requiring prompt examination by investigators.

The announcement did not provide independent performance measurements establishing how much the technology has improved response times or investigative outcomes. The stated purpose is to assist personnel in processing large volumes of incoming information while prioritizing matters that may involve immediate public safety concerns.

The FBI also emphasizes the protection of civil liberties in administering these services. Criminal justice information systems operate under applicable access restrictions, reporting requirements, and procedures governing the use and dissemination of sensitive records.

The 2025 findings establish a significant decline in nationally reported violent crime, supported by broad law enforcement participation and an expanded incident-based reporting network. They also underscore the importance of distinguishing measured crime trends from claims about the specific policies or enforcement activities responsible for those changes.

For the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, the continued publication of detailed and timely statistics provides a means of tracking public safety conditions, identifying changes in criminal activity, and making national reporting data available for independent examination.

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