D.C. homicides are declining after last year's violent crime spike

Homicides have dropped 25% so far this year compared to 2023, in line with a general decline in D.C. crime rates.

The big picture: D.C. closed last year with the most homicides since 1997 at 274, and carjackings nearly doubled.

• The city has had 48 homicides so far this year, down from 64 during the same period in 2023, according to police stats .
• Carjackings are down 23%, per a D.C. dashboard .
• Violent crime in total is down 22%.

Zoom out: The number of homicides in major American cities is falling at its quickest pace in decades following huge jumps during the pandemic.

• The nation is on pace to see one of the most significant declines in violent crimes and homicides since President Obama was in office, according to an Axios analysis of AH Datalytics data .

By the numbers: The percentage of homicides in 204 cities declined by nearly 20% during the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, according to AH Datalytics, a criminal justice consulting firm.

Go deeper: Number of homicides plummets in major U.S. cities