Council on Criminal Justice analysis says most tracked major crimes fell in early 2026 across sampled U.S. cities
The Facts
A new Council on Criminal Justice analysis found that reported levels of nine of 13 tracked offenses were lower in the first six months of 2026 than in the same period of 2025 across a sample of major U.S. cities Newsweek. The report said carjackings showed the largest decline, down 47 percent, while drug offenses rose 12 percent; other increases included domestic violence and sexual assault, indicating that the downward trend was not uniform across all offense categories Newsweek. The findings matter because they extend a multiyear decline after the pandemic-era spike in violence, but the article does not provide city-by-city results in the source material shown here, leaving variation among individual cities unresolved Newsweek.
Context
What did the analysis say about overall crime trends in 2026?
The analysis said crime in major U.S. cities continued to decline in 2026, with reported levels of nine out of 13 tracked offenses lower in the first half of 2026 than in the same period of 2025 Newsweek.
Which offenses changed the most?
According to the analysis, carjackings had the largest drop at 47 percent, while drug offenses had the largest increase at 12 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier Newsweek.
Were all categories down?
No. The article says some categories increased even as most declined: domestic violence rose 8 percent and sexual assault rose 3 percent, while aggravated assaults, gun assaults, robberies and lethality all fell Newsweek.
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