A new Department of Justice preliminary survey reports that violent crime victimization falls about 25% in 2025 compared with 2024, alongside a roughly 19% decline in property crime victimization, according to outlets citing the DOJ data. CBS News says the decline is the largest since 1973, based on DOJ’s characterization.
The National Crime Victimization Survey, run annually by the U.S. Census Bureau, is presented across the coverage as the source of the figures released by the Justice Department. Several outlets highlight that declines appear across multiple categories such as aggravated assault and robbery, and also cite sharp drops in burglary and motor vehicle theft.
Coverage differs mainly in emphasis and interpretation. Some outlets frame the results as “historic” or the biggest-ever drop, while others add political context, including attribution to Trump administration actions related to illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and gangs. Overall, the reported direction and approximate magnitudes of the declines are consistent across sources.
