New survey shows nearly 10% drop in homicides in 2023

Homicides survey overview: 

• Who: The Council on Criminal Justice revealed its midyear update on crime trends in US cities. 
• Why: The study revealed that homicide rates in 30 cities with readily available data have decreased by nearly 10% in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year. 
• Where: Nationwide. 

The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) revealed the rate of homicides in U.S. cities saw a drop of nearly 10% in the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year, according to data from 30 cities included in the council’s midyear survey update on crime trends in U.S. cities. 

In total, 202 fewer homicides occurred during the first half of 2023 compared to the first half of last year, representing a 9.4% decrease, according to a study released by the CCJ earlier this month examining monthly crime rates in 37 American cities. 

While homicide rates decreased in comparison to the same period last year, the amount still represented a 23% increase in homicides in the cities during the first half of 2019, the period immediately prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The findings were part of a CCJ study focused on examining crime rates for a total of 10 violent, property and drug offenses in the 37 American cities, which were chosen for inclusion based on data availability. 

The homicide results only included data from 30 cities, with every city examined in the study not reporting data for each crime category, which also included robbery, larceny, motor vehicle theft, robbery and gun assault, among other things. 

Raleigh, North Carolina, tops list of cities with decreased homicide rate in first half of 2023

The city of Raleigh, North Carolina, had a 59% decrease in its homicide rate during the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period last year, representing the highest drop, according to the study. 

Despite the overall drop, 10 cities included in the study had a higher rate of homicides during the first six months of the year, with Lincoln, Nebraska, topping the list with an increase of 133%. 

Other crime categories that saw a dip in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2022 included gun assaults (5.6%), robberies (3.6%), nonresidential burglaries (5%), larcenies (4.1%), residential burglaries (3.8%), and aggravated assaults (2.5%). 

“The downward trends in violent crime we’re seeing as the pandemic recedes should not dim the intensity of our commitment to reduce violence across the country,” said CCJ Research Specialist Ernesto Lopez, the study’s co-author, in a statement.  

Gun crime has also been in the news recently thanks to a Supreme Court decision. The court ruled last month that defendants who are convicted of gun crimes can serve sentences that run concurrently. 

Are you concerned with the homicide rate in your city? What do you think of the homicides survey results? Let us know in the comments.

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