Why violent crime plummeted in the U.S. in 2025

Violent crime plummeted in 2025 with the murder rate falling 18% from its 2024 level, according to the FBI's annual crime report. Adam Gelb, president and CEO at the Council on Criminal Justice, joins CBS News to discuss the reason for the fall.

Violent crime and murder rates fell sharply between 2024 and 2025, the largest year-to-year decrease since the federal government began tracking nationwide crime rates in 1936, according to FBI data.

The FBI's report, which compiles crime data from about 87% of the country's police departments, shows an 18.1% decrease in the murder rate compared with the prior year.

The FBI announced Friday that violent crime, including murders, fell by record levels during 2025 as President Donald Trump touted the numbers.

Statistics released Friday by the FBI showed record declines last year in the national estimated violent crime rate and the estimated rate for murders and certain manslaughters.