After spiking during the pandemic and the social justice protests of 2020-21, 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.
How much might be due to changes in criminal justice policies and programs, from tougher immigration enforcement and the deployment of the National Guard to expansion of community violence interruption programs? What about advances in crime detection and investigation and other technologies? To what extent are broader social and cultural forces at play? What else?
Experts and leaders from the Council on Criminal Justice came together for a fast-paced discussion of the most common—and controversial—claims.
Panelists
- Thaddeus Johnson, Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
- Charles Fain Lehman, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute
- Ernesto Lopez, Senior Research Specialist, Council on Criminal Justice
- Emily Owens, Criminology and Economics Professor, University of California, Irvine
- Alex Piquero, Sociology and Criminology Professor, University of Miami
