Crime Drops Sharply Across U.S. | Jersey News

Jersey City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 19, 2026 · 1m

Violent crime in the U.S. plummeted 9.3% last year — the biggest annual drop since 1936 — with murder rates falling 18.1% to levels last seen in the mid-50s. Robbery, assault, rape, property crime, and car theft all declined significantly. This isn’t a fluke: major cities and even non-metro areas are seeing similar drops, continuing into early 2026 with steeper declines. Experts point to post-pandemic normalization, policing changes, or demographic shifts — though the trend began before the current administration. Cities of 500K–1M saw the largest drops (over 15%), while rape slightly rose in…