The U.S. is experiencing a significant decline nationally in homicides, according to FBI data. Murder rates are also falling in many large cities, including Boston, which saw the largest drop of any major U.S. city in the first three months of 2024. As of June 10, Boston police reported four homicides in the city this year, compared to 18 at the same time one year ago.
The descending numbers are not an aberration, says Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox, who notes that U.S. murders have been on the decrease for three decades. And yet Americans are generally not aware of the trend, he says. “National Gun Violence Awareness Month [currently ongoing] is an appropriate time for the public to become aware of the improvement,” says Fox, who has been studying murder for four decades. “But the word isn’t getting out.” Homicides throughout the U.S. decreased by 26.4% overall in the first quarter of 2024, according to the FBI data, which was released on June 10. Violent crimes overall — including rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies — dropped by more than 15% in that span.
