Violent Crime Sees Largest Annual Drop in Nearly 90 Years During Trump's Second Term
Department of Justice report indicates a 25% decrease in non-fatal violent crimes in 2025.
Violent crime experienced its largest single-year reduction in nearly nine decades during 2025, the first year of President Trump's second term, according to preliminary estimates from the Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report released Monday indicates a nationwide drop of at least 25% in non-fatal violent crimes across most categories.
Specific declines included a 31% reduction in aggravated assaults, translating to 390,000 fewer incidents. Burglaries or trespassing decreased by 25%, accounting for 460,000 fewer occurrences, and motor vehicle thefts fell by 30%, with 349,000 fewer vehicles stolen. All other types of household thefts saw a 19% decrease.
The NCVS, compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and initiated in 1973, surveys a nationally representative sample of approximately 240,000 individuals in about 150,000 households. The current survey data suggests these declines are the steepest year-over-year reduction recorded since the survey's inception.
Officials have attributed these reductions to policies implemented under President Trump, including efforts to end cashless bail, the deployment of National Guard units to Washington, D.C., and other major cities, and the closure of the southern border to illegal immigration. Following the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., violent crime in the city reportedly dropped by 45% within one month.
These figures represent a more significant decrease than those previously reported by the FBI in May, which indicated a roughly 7% decline in aggravated assault and a 9.3% decrease in overall violent crime for the same period. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated in a press release that the report "is proof that President Trump’s ‘Make America Safe Again’ agenda is working." He added that "Under President Trump and Attorney General [Todd] Blanche, the safety of law-abiding Americans will always come first."