U.S. Homicides Drop 25% Below 2019 Levels in 2025 After Federal Violence Intervention Grants Are Cut
National homicide totals dropped sharply after the 2020 pandemic spike, yet the Trump administration ended more than $800 million in Department of Justice grants for community violence programs in April 2025.
riotimesonline.comHomicides across the United States fell 25 percent below 2019 totals in 2025, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. The New York Police Department recorded the city’s fewest murders in its history during the first four months of 2026. Baltimore, Buffalo and Salt Lake City each posted declines exceeding 40 percent between 2019 and 2025.
Baltimore recorded the largest homicide-rate reduction among 35 cities tracked by the Council on Criminal Justice. The Trump administration terminated millions of dollars in grants to LifeBridge Health and at least two other Baltimore organizations that conducted street-level conflict mediation. The same administration ended grants to the Urban Peace Institute in Los Angeles.
In April 2025 the Department of Justice removed more than $800 million from its Office of Justice Programs that had supported gun-violence prevention and response. ” Minneapolis recorded a 30 percent rise in its homicide rate in 2025 compared with 2019. In 2023 resident Zachary Coppola sued the city, alleging improper procedures in awarding violence-prevention contracts.
The city settled and agreed to require applicants to describe services in “sufficient detail” for evaluation; an audit of past contracts is scheduled for release in June. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed suit earlier in May 2026 against We Push for Peace. 5 million for a Las Vegas trip, child-support payments, and funding for Pollard’s liquor store and car dealership.
A We Push for Peace worker was recorded in 2021 striking a homeless man outside a grocery store. ” In 2020 San Francisco began an intensive mentorship program for individuals identified as high-risk for gun violence. The targeted district recorded a 50 percent drop in homicides and non-fatal shootings relative to the rest of the city, according to a University of Pennsylvania report.
Rhett Morris of the Brookings Institution said pandemic-era job and school losses among young men in high-poverty neighborhoods provided “the clearest explanation” for the 2020 national homicide increase of 30 percent.
Transparency
0 core facts confirmed by 2+ independent outlets. 15 single-source, 0 disputed.
Corroborating outlets share one lane and are mostly lower-tier — treat as weakly verified.
Source lean classification not available for this article.
- The Guardian reported: In April 2025 more than $800 million in grants was cut from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs that had been aimed at preventing and responding to gun violence
- The Guardian reported: US homicides in 2025 were 25% lower than in 2019
- The Guardian reported: The Department of Justice terminated grants to Urban Peace Institute in Los Angeles, LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, and at least two other Baltimore violence intervention organizations
- The Guardian reported: US homicides spiked 30% in 2020 compared to 2019
- The Guardian reported: The Department of Justice stated the grant cuts were made to focus on prosecuting criminals and to eliminate wasteful grants
- The Guardian reported: Baltimore recorded the largest homicide rate decrease among 35 cities between 2019 and 2025
- The Guardian reported: The Biden administration's Safer Communities Act of 2022 provided $250 million for community-based violence intervention and prevention
- The Guardian reported: New York City recorded its fewest murders in recorded history during the first four months of 2026
- The Guardian reported: Minneapolis homicide rate in 2025 was 30% higher than in 2019
- The Guardian reported: A University of Pennsylvania report found that San Francisco's 2020 violence reduction initiative produced a 50% reduction in homicides and non-fatal shootings in the targeted district compared with the rest of the city
- The Guardian reported: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit alleging that directors of We Push for Peace siphoned more than $6.5 million from the nonprofit for personal expenses
- The Guardian reported: The White House stated in February 2026 that the decline in violent crime was the direct result of President Trump’s aggressive approach including surging federal resources, removing criminal illegals, supporting police, and rejecting left-wing policies
- The Guardian reported: Jeff Asher stated that multiple factors including violence intervention programs, infrastructure improvements, and easing of Covid strains may explain the homicide decline but that no single driver is confirmed
- The Guardian reported: Rhett Morris stated that crime drops occurred both in cities that received National Guard deployments and in cities that did not, indicating the deployments were not a critical factor
- The Guardian reported: Shani Buggs stated that the grant cuts are beyond disheartening because they reverse investment in programs that produced historic homicide reductions
Story details
Related Stories
The IndependentAppeals Court Allows White House to Resume Construction of Secure Ballroom and Counter-Drone Facility
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that President Trump lacks authority to build the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. An appeals court later allowed above-ground work to continue.
news.sky.comTrump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Discuss Sanctions Relief in Phone Call
The two leaders discussed supporting Syria's economy and recent regional developments. Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that lifting remaining U.S. sanctions is essential for economic revival.
nypost.comIsraeli Forces Seize Historic Beaufort Castle in Southern Lebanon
Israeli forces seized the 12th-century hilltop fortress overlooking the Litani River. The operation marks Israel's deepest advance into Lebanon in more than 26 years.