Washington, D.C. According to a recent FBI report, property crime decreased 8.1% in 2024 at the same time that violent crime decreased 4.5%.
The decreases follow a pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic, when homicides increased by almost 30% in 2020, one of the biggest one-year rises since the FBI started recording crimes in 1930. Violent crime had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2022.
In 2024, homicides—which the FBI defines as murder and nonnegligent manslaughter—decreased by over 15%. Additionally, fewer reports of other violent crimes were made, such as aggravated assault (down 3%), robbery (down 8.9%), and rape (down 5.2%).
All of the main categories of property crime saw declines as well: larceny-theft down 5.5%, burglary decreased 8.6%, and motor vehicle theft decreased 18.6%. The number of hate crimes reported fell 1.5% from the year before.
More than 95% of the U.S. population is represented by the 16,675 law enforcement agencies that submitted to the 2024 report, a 2.1% increase over the previous year. A complete year’s worth of data was supplied by each city department that serves a population of one million or more. The FBI collects crime data based on crimes reported to the police, and participation is voluntary.
87% of the population was covered by the FBI’s new, more comprehensive National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, which was used by about 75% of participating agencies to provide information.
The data release represents a change from previous years, when participation was minimal after the FBI’s 2021 system rollout, which necessitated training and technological improvements for numerous law enforcement agencies. The FBI was forced to estimate findings for many jurisdictions in 2021 after national reporting rates dropped below 70% for the first time in 20 years.
New law enforcement safety data is also included in the FBI’s crime trends report. In 2024, there were 84 cops slain in the line of duty due to a felony, 43 officers killed by accident, and 85,730 officers attacked.
The FBI’s 2024 report is in line with other crime trend studies, although being a year behind schedule. According to a recent report by the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice, homicides and other violent crimes, such as carjackings and firearms attacks, decreased in 42 large cities during the first half of 2025 as compared to the same time in 2024.
Amanda Hernández, a reporter for Stateline, can be contacted at [email protected].
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