Detroit has hit a landmark in decreased violent crime, reporting the least amount of murders since 1965. As detailed by Click on Detroit, the city witnessed a significant reduction across all major crime categories, with the number of homicides dropping to 165 in 2025 – an 18.7% decrease from the previous year and a striking 34.5% fall from 2023. The trend extends to nonfatal shootings and carjackings, which saw declines of at least 10%.
During a press conference at the Detroit Public Safety Headquarters, Police Chief Todd Bettison attributed the success to strategies that will see reinforcement under Mayor Mary Sheffield’s new leadership. "What we’re doing in Detroit is working," Bettison said, according to The Detroit News report. Violent crime followed suit with a drop of 10.2%, while property crime fell by 9.7%.
Car thefts also saw a marked reduction, plummeting 23.3% in comparison to the year prior. The city officials hailed partnerships with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, and federal agencies, alongside community violence intervention groups, as key factors in their successful crime-fighting efforts. Mayor Sheffield used the occasion to announce plans for Detroit’s first Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety, a new initiative aimed at adopting a human-centered preventative approach that extends beyond policing. This office is set to provide services encompassing youth empowerment, job training, and mental health support, as detailed by Click on Detroit.
The strides in combating crime echo a national downward trend in homicides. Other cities, including Chicago and New York, also noted significant drops in homicides for the year 2025. In the case of Philadelphia, they reported a nearly 60-year low in murders. According to Axios, the U.S. wrapped up last year on track for the largest one-year drop in murders the nation has ever recorded. This decrease in killings is part of a broader decline in violent crime following the COVID-era spike.
