In April 2023, CCJ launched the Crime Trends Working Group to continue the important work of grounding debates about crime and criminal justice reform in facts. Composed of 17 diverse leaders from academia, advocacy, law enforcement, government, and the public health sector, the Working Group’s mission is to explore and explain current crime trends while building consensus for significant improvements in the nation’s capacity to produce timely, accurate, and complete crime data.
In mid-2024, the Working Group released a set of recommendations to strengthen the nation’s crime data infrastructure and better equip policymakers with data essential to effectively address community violence and other crime. The recommendations proposed action in multiple areas by federal, state, and local agencies and called for increased appropriations to enable the Bureau of Justice Statistics to assume an expanded role in national crime data reporting.
Note: The late criminologist Richard Rosenfeld, Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and former president of the American Society of Criminology, was the founding chair of the Working Group and the co-author of our crime trends reports. Rosenfeld, an eminent scholar who was a trusted resource for policymakers and an exceptional interpreter of crime patterns for the media, passed away on January 8, 2024. CCJ is deeply indebted to him for his contributions to our organization and the field.
working group Recommendations
CCJ’s Crime Trends Working Group reached consensus on recommendations to strengthen the nation’s crime data infrastructure and better equip policymakers with timely, accurate, and usable data essential to address community violence and other crime.
Publications
Event Recording: What’s Driving the Crime Decline?
Violent crime has fallen sharply over the past three years. Its news we should all celebrate—and it’s critical that we understand why if we want to extend progress into 2026 and beyond. Experts and leaders from the Council on Criminal Justice came together for a fast-paced discussion of the most common—and controversial—claims.
Homicide Falls Sharply in Major U.S. Cities Amid Continuing Decline in Overall Crime
A 21% drop would push homicide rate to a new historic low, new CCJ analysis finds
What’s Driving the Drop in Homicide? How Low Might It Go?
CCJ brought together leading experts to assess what’s driving the homicide decline, including changes in criminal justice policy, shifts in technology use, and broader social and economic trends.
Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2025 Update
With homicide down 21%, the 2025 homicide rate may reach the lowest level ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back to 1900, CCJ’s year-end analysis finds.
Who Gets Arrested in America: Trends Across Four Decades, 1980-2024
This comprehensive analysis of arrest trends is the first of its kind since the federal government stopped releasing detailed arrest data in 2020. It shows that arrests fell sharply in 2020 during the pandemic—and have stayed down since then.
Methodology and Data Sources: Arrest Trends in America, 1980-2024
Using multiple federal data sources, this report rebuilds national arrest trend lines across age, gender, race, and offense categories—restoring national visibility into more than 40 years of arrest patterns.
Crime in New York City: What You Need to Know
President Trump announced in late October that he would consider dispatching military troops to New York City. This brief examines six-month trends for five different crime types in NYC.
Crime in San Francisco: What You Need to Know
On October 15, President Trump announced he would consider sending the National Guard to San Francisco. This brief examines six-month trends for 11 offenses in the Bay Area city.
Crime in Baltimore: What You Need to Know
President Trump announced he would consider dispatching troops to Baltimore, MD, in an effort to fight crime. This brief examines six-month trends for eight different crime types going back to 2018.
Crime in St. Louis: What You Need to Know
President Trump has suggested sending military troops to St. Louis, MO, in an effort to reduce crime and violence. This brief examines six-month trends for six crime types in St. Louis going back to 2018.
Crime in Memphis: What You Need to Know
President Trump announced on September 12 that he would dispatch military troops and federal agents to Memphis, TN, in an effort to reduce crime and violence. This brief examines six-month trends for 10 different crime types in Memphis, as well as separate data on gun thefts.
A Federal Partnership Can Help DC Cut Crime: Here’s How
The administration’s investment of federal law enforcement resources in DC offers a chance to prioritize public safety over politics. But doing so will require building lasting crime-fighting infrastructure beyond the temporary surge.
Working Group Members
John Roman (Chair)
Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Public Safety and Justice, NORC at the University of Chicago
Ruth Abaya
Attending Physician, Emergency Department, and Practice-Based Scholar, Center for Violence Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Thomas Abt
Founding Director, Violence Reduction Center, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
Delrice Adams
Executive Director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Jeff Asher
Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
Deborah Azrael
Director of Research, Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Jamein Cunningham
Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Drew Evans
Superintendent, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Chief Edgardo Garcia
Chief of Police, Dallas Police Department; President, Major Cities Chiefs Association
Brandon Gibson
Chief Operating Officer, State of Tennessee
Michael Nutter
Former President, U.S. Conference of Mayors; Former Mayor, City of Philadelphia
Janet Lauritsen
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emerita, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Kathleen O'Toole
Partner, 21CP Solutions; Former Chief, Seattle Police Department
Fernando Rejón
Executive Director, Urban Peace Institute
Lisa Shoaf
Director, Statistical Analysis Center, Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services
Keon Turner
Data Analysis and Reporting Team Manager, Virginia Department of State Police
Previous Working Group members
John Buntin
Former Project Director, Crime Trends Working Group
Richard Rosenfeld (founding chair)
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Working Group Liaisons
Brian Griffith
Deputy Assistant Director, Law Enforcement and Technology Services Branch, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Shelley Hyland
Senior Statistical Advisor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
Press releases
About The Art
The banner design was created by an adult in custody designer in the Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Graphic Design program. The mission of OCE, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections, is to promote public safety by providing adults in custody with work and training opportunities in a self-sustaining organization.
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