Reducing Community Violence in U.S. Cities

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced an unprecedented spike in violence. Homicides jumped 30% in 2020, the largest single-year increase in more than a century. As the pandemic eased, rates of violence fell sharply: By 2024, homicides in 35 large cities were 25% lower than in 2019, and declines continued into 2026. Yet even amid this historic drop, 49% of U.S. adults in 2025 called crime “extremely/very serious.”

Cities across the country have invested in a range of evidence-based strategies to reduce community violence, from targeted intervention programs to community outreach and hospital-based initiatives. These efforts have contributed to meaningful progress, but translating individual programs into sustained, citywide reductions in violence remains a challenge.

The research and analysis collected here examine what is working, what obstacles cities face, and what steps are needed to achieve lasting results.