St. Louis opened 2026 with a stretch the city has not seen in years: just 14 homicides in January and February, the lowest tally for those months since 2009. The drop follows a year of broadly reduced crime numbers, and city leaders are cautiously welcoming the trend while stressing it is far too early to declare a lasting turnaround.
According to First Alert 4, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department reported 14 homicides combined in the first two months of 2026, the lowest two-month total since 2009, when there were 13. First Alert 4 also noted the city saw 15 homicides over the same period in 2025 and 31 in the first two months of 2024.
How the new numbers fit into a longer trend
A department CompStat report shows that overall Part I crime fell 16% in 2025 and homicides dropped to 141, a 12-year low, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The report quoted Chief Robert J. Tracy saying, "These numbers are more than statistics, they reflect the hard work and dedication of our officers."
Leaders credit policing and prevention, with caveats
As reported by St. Louis Public Radio, Mayor Cara Spencer pointed to investigative work as a key factor. "One of the main reasons that we're seeing a continued decline is that our police officers are performing well above national averages in actually solving homicides," she said. St. Louis Public Radio also reported the city’s homicide clearance rate at roughly 84% and attributed much of last year's decline to CompStat-led tactics and collaboration with the Office of Violence Prevention.
What officials are watching next
Police officials caution that early-year homicide counts can swing quickly and that keeping the numbers down will rely on sustained investigative capacity and community-based prevention programs. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department noted its academy graduated 38 recruits in 2025, and also said recruiting remains a national challenge, underscoring that staffing levels and community partnerships will influence whether the early progress holds.
For now, the lower count offers a tentative bit of breathing room for neighborhoods that have long carried the brunt of gun violence, and city leaders are emphasizing that the effort is ongoing. Police continue to ask anyone with information on violent crimes to contact the SLMPD Homicide Division or CrimeStoppers so investigations can move forward.
