WASHINGTON — Violent and property crime in the United States plummeted in 2024, with murder rates hitting their lowest point in two decades, according to new FBI data reported by CBS News, which states, “Crime decreased in every category in 2024, including murder, violent crime and motor vehicle thefts, according to data released by the FBI on Tuesday.”
The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report found that violent crime — which includes murder, robbery, rape and aggravated assault — fell 4.5% compared to 2023. The national murder rate dropped to 5 per 100,000 residents, a 15% decrease from the previous year and far below the peak of 6.7 recorded in 2020, CBS News reported.
Experts told CBS News the reasons for the decline vary. LAPD Chief of Detectives Alan S. Hamilton credited community and violence intervention programs in Los Angeles for the drop, saying, “We made an investment in the future and I think these are the dividends.” Former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison suggested some offenders are shifting to online schemes — “If they don’t have to go out on the street … some criminals will do that” — which may reduce street crime while posing new enforcement challenges.
Property crime also decreased significantly — CBS News reports a drop of 8.1% overall. Burglary fell 8.6% and larceny‑theft declined 5.5%, while motor vehicle thefts plunged 18.6%, the steepest single‑year decline ever recorded, though experts caution car theft rates remain above 2019 levels.
The FBI report also documented 11,679 hate crime incidents and 13,683 related offenses in 2024. The Secure Community Network estimated that about 69% of reported religiously motivated hate crimes were antisemitic. CBS News noted rising antisemitic and anti‑Muslim incidents following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent military operations in Gaza.
The Council on Criminal Justice told CBS News that preliminary data for the first half of 2025 shows the downward trend continues, with homicide rates at their lowest level in a decade. However, the group cautioned that FBI data covers only reported crimes, meaning incidents such as sexual assaults are likely undercounted.
