Carmel police say crime in the city dropped across nearly every major category in 2025, with especially steep declines in burglary and vehicle-related theft. According to departmental counts, burglary fell 55%, theft from motor vehicles dropped 25%, theft excluding shoplifting fell 23%, motor vehicle theft declined 21% and aggravated assault was down 18% year over year.
What the numbers show
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Carmel Police Department said the figures come from 2025 NIBRS reporting and reflect year-over-year changes. The post breaks out the sharp drops in burglary, theft from vehicles and other categories that officials say have fallen across the city.
Police credit patrols, investigations and new technology
The department wrote that the results “reflect proactive policing, strong investigative work, new technology, and partnership with the community,” according to the Carmel Police Department. Department releases and drone first-responder program coverage show Carmel has been piloting tools intended to speed response times and improve evidence gathering.
Public data and transparency
The City of Carmel maintains an online crime-mapping dashboard and transparency pages where residents can look up incident-level data and monthly reports. For more detail on how the city publishes incidents and traffic-stop information, see the City of Carmel crime-mapping pages.
How to read NIBRS numbers
NIBRS collects more detail than the older summary reporting system, but analysts caution that year-to-year swings can reflect both genuine changes in crime and shifts in reporting or classification practices. The Bureau of Justice Statistics LEARCAT methodology explains those differences and urges care when comparing short time windows or smaller jurisdictions.
What this means for residents
With those caveats in mind, the reported declines are in line with Carmel’s long-running reputation for low crime, and national rankings often place the city near the top for safety. As noted in the MoneyGeek 2025 report, Carmel frequently ranks among the safest U.S. cities, a status local officials say they plan to protect through continued patrols, technology upgrades and community partnerships.
