Published on August 11, 2025
On Monday, August 11, President Trump announced the federal government would take control of Washington, DC’s police department and deploy National Guard troops to combat crime in the city. This brief examines crime trends in the nation’s capital based on data published in July in the Council on Criminal Justice Mid-Year 2025 Crime Trends report, which looked at trends in offenses recorded by law enforcement in Washington and 41 other large American cities from 2018 through June 2025.
Washington’s numbers shift depending on what time period and what types of crime you examine. But overall, there is an unmistakable and large drop in reported violence in the District since the summer of 2023, when there were peaks in homicide, gun assaults, robbery, and carjacking. That downward trend is consistent with what’s being reported in other large cities across the country, while the level of violence in Washington remains higher than average in our sample.
To track changes over time, below we’ve pulled statistics for eight different crime types going back to 2018. The monthly data, both counts and rates, for Washington and other cities is viewable in the Offense Dashboard at the bottom of the Mid-Year Crime Trends report.
Homicide
Figure 1 shows the average homicide rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 1. Homicide Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
Examining the trends from our recent report, and looking closer at the monthly data available in our offense dashboard, we see the following:
- There were three peaks of homicide between January 2018 and June 2025: In July 2020 (29 reported incidents, rate of 4.2 per 100,000 residents), October 2021 (31 incidents, rate of 4.5), and August 2023 (33 incidents, rate of 4.9).
- In June 2025, there were 12 reported incidents, or a rate of 1.7, a rate reduction of 65% from the highest peak in August 2023.
- The homicide rate in DC fell 19% in the first half of this year (January-June 2025) compared to the similar period last year (January-June 2024). The average change in 30 large cities in CCJ’s study sample was -17%. (See figure)
- The homicide rate in DC was 3% lower in the first half of this year (January-June 2025) than it was in the first half of the year before the pandemic (January-June 2019). The average change in 30 large study cities was -14%. (See figure)
- The homicide rate over the past year in DC (from July 2024-June 2025) was 10% higher than it was during the similar period (July 2018-June 2019) before the pandemic. Of 30 large cities in CCJ’s study sample, only 11 had homicide rates below the 2018-2019 levels in 2024-2025. (See figure)
- The overall drop in homicide in the 30 cities is being driven in part by large drops in several high-homicide cities such as Baltimore and St. Louis.
Aggravated Assault
Figure 2 shows the average aggravated assault rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 2. Aggravated Assault Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, aggravated assault had three peaks: May 2019, at 169 incidents and a rate of 23.9; July 2020, at 175 incidents and a rate of 25.4; and in September 2021, at 181 reported incidents, or a rate of 26.5 per 100,000 residents.
- Aggravated assaults trended downward from the peak and in June 2025 there were 66 reported incidents, or a rate of 9.4, a rate reduction of 65% from the peak in September 2021.
Gun Assault
Figure 3 shows the average gun assault rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 3. Gun Assault Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- There were two peaks of reported gun assaults between January 2018 and June 2025: In September 2021(99 incidents, rate 14.5) and July 2023 (100 incidents, rate 14.7).
- In June 2025, there were 41 reported incidents, or a rate of 5.8, a rate reduction of 61% from the July 2023 peak.
Sexual Assault
Figure 4 shows the average reported rate of sexual assault by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 4. Sexual Assault Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, sexual assault generally trended downward, with a peak in July 2018 at 35 reported incidents, or a rate of 5 per 100,000 residents, and a spike in August 2022 at 30 incidents, a rate of 4.5.
- In June 2025, there were 7 reported incidents, or a rate of 1.0, a rate reduction of 80% from the July 2018 peak.
Robbery
Figure 5 shows the average robbery rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 5. Robbery Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, robbery peaked in July 2023 at 479 reported incidents, a rate of 70.6 per 100,000 residents.
- In June 2025, there were 131 reported incidents, or a rate of 18.7, a rate reduction of 74%.
Carjacking
Figure 6 shows the average carjacking rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 6. Carjacking Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, carjacking rose markedly during 2020 and spiked to a peak of 140 reported incidents, a rate of 20.6 per 100,000 residents, in June 2023.
- In June 2025, there were 36 reported incidents, or a rate of 5.1, a rate reduction of 75%.
Larceny
Figure 7 shows the average larceny rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 7. Larceny Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, larceny trended downward after January 2020, with a peak in October 2018 at 2,588 reported incidents, or a rate of 367.5 per 100,000 residents, and another spike in October 2019 at 2,486 or a rate of 351.
- In June 2025, there were 1,459 reported incidents, or a rate of 207.8, a rate reduction of 43% from the October 2018 peak.
Motor Vehicle Theft
Figure 8 shows the average motor vehicle theft rate by half-year in Washington, DC through June 2025.
Figure 8. Motor Vehicle Theft Rates in Washington, DC, January 2018 – June 2025
More details from our offense dashboard:
- Between January 2018 and June 2025, motor vehicle theft peaked in May 2023, at 684 reported incidents, or a rate of 101 per 100,000 residents and held steady through June (673 incidents) and July 2023 at 675 incidents. Both June and July had a rate of 99.
- In June 2025, there were 353 reported incidents, or a rate of 50.3, a rate reduction of 50% from the May 2023 peak.
