MIAMI – Two major South Florida law enforcement agencies reported a drop in violent crime in their patrol areas, according to newly-released statistics.
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The report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows it’s part of a nationwide trend in reduced violent crime in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024.
The two South Florida agencies reporting crime drops are the Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, which patrols unincorporated areas along with Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay and Miami Lakes. An agency spokesperson did not have information Tuesday on whether the MDSO statistics included those municipalities.
In Miami, homicides are down from nine to eight compared to the first quarter of 2024, an 11% drop. Reported rapes are down 51%, robberies are down 21% and aggravated assaults are down 16%.
Meanwhile, MDSO reports a nearly 39% year-over-year drop in homicides: from 18 to 11. Reported rapes are down 38%, robberies are down 21% and aggravated assaults are down nearly 16%.
Nationally, among the major city agencies reporting data, homicides were down 20%, reported rapes were down 14%, robberies were down nearly 20% and aggravated assaults were down 11%.
“Overall, US agencies have seen a precipitous decline in violent crime compared to the same time last year,” Laura Cooper, the MCCA’s executive director, said in a statement. “When compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels, all categories are down (except) aggravated assaults which are up 1.3% in the USA.”
No other South Florida law enforcement agencies were included in the report. Tampa is also seeing declines in violent crime and so is Jacksonville, save for homcides, which were up by one ― about 6% ― year over year.
Areas bucking the trend and seeing year-over-year increases in homicides include Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island; Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Baltimore County, Maryland; Houston and areas of Los Angeles County, California patrolled by its sheriff’s office. Los Angeles proper has seen a 38% decrease in homicides, however.