Mid-Year Crime Stats Show Promising Decline Citywide

Published on July 17, 2025

Mid-year report reveals an 8% decrease in overall crime and a remarkable 25% reduction in violent crime.

Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, July 17, 2025) – Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) announced encouraging mid-year public safety statistics for January through June 2025, revealing a notable reduction in overall crime, a dramatic decrease in violent crime and a decline in property crime. These positive trends underscore the effectiveness of CMPD's data-driven strategies, innovative initiatives and the tireless dedication of its officers in collaboration with the Charlotte community.

Through the first two quarters of the year, overall crime has decreased 8% compared to this same time last year. Charlotte experienced a 25% reduction in violent crime, which includes homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults, encompassing shootings. Property crime, which includes residential and commercial burglary, auto theft and larceny, is down 5%.

“I am incredibly proud of our patrol officers, who are in our neighborhoods daily, engaging with the community, observing suspicious activity and providing our detectives with the crucial information needed to arrest violent offenders,” said Deputy Chief Ryan Butler, who oversees the Investigative Services Group. “The progress we’re making in reducing violent crime comes from strong, ongoing teamwork.”

Overall, the CMPD saw decreases in the following offenses:

Homicides are down 29%
Aggravated assaults are down 25%
Robberies are down 21%

Proactive measures such as firearm seizures, zone checks and police interactions are up significantly through the first half of the year:

Firearm seizures rose 18%
Zone checks rose 8%
Police interactions rose 4%

While Charlotte has seen a 5% reduction in overall property crime, specific areas still present challenges. For instance, burglaries increased by 7%, and larcenies from automobiles rose by 3%. To combat these trends, individuals can take simple precautions like locking their vehicles and securing valuables. Businesses can also play a crucial role by integrating their security systems through Connect Charlotte. Residents are also encouraged to join Connect Charlotte by registering their cameras via the program's online portal, strengthening community-wide vigilance.

In addition to encouraging personal responsibility and prevention efforts, the CMPD remains committed to long-term crime reduction through focused initiatives, such as the Juvenile Accountability and Diversion Empowerment (JADE) team, which engages directly with at-risk youth to deter future criminal activity.

“Our department isn’t just focused on making arrests,” said Captain Michael Carter of the Steele Creek Division. “We’re committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. That’s why our JADE officers continue to make home visits to families of at-risk youth and to provide educational resources aimed at prevention and support.”

In the first two quarters of 2025, the JADE team made 97 arrests, seized 72 firearms and forged trust with young people and their families. This year alone, JADE officers made 84 home visits to help keep younger people on the right path toward productive lives. The CMPD's significant efforts against juvenile crime have paid off, resulting in a 16% drop in arrests in 2025.

While the JADE team continues to play a key role in addressing youth-related crime, other specialized units are also making an impact. The CMPD’s Street Takeover Task Force continues to make progress dismantling illegal street activities, contributing to the reduction of auto thefts. Overall auto thefts have decreased by 22% so far this year. During the first half of the year, officers responded to 25 organized street takeover events, resulting in 7 arrests, 84 citations, 23 vehicle seizures, 6 firearms seized and 111 warrants issued. Another initiative that has contributed to the reduction in auto thefts is the Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement (SCARLET) team. SCARLET officers made 102 arrests, recovered 85 stolen vehicles (valued at over $7 million) and seized 24 firearms.

In addition to enforcement-driven results, CMPD recognizes that long-term public safety also depends on trust and collaboration with the community. Over the past five years, while working to prevent crime, the CMPD has been steadfast in its efforts to improve relationships with the Charlotte community. Five years ago, in response to the 2020 civil rights demonstrations, the department created an innovative program focused on a customer-oriented approach to policing and interactions known as CMPD Serves. This transformative program resulted in a dramatic reduction in use-of-force incidents, external complaints and officer-involved shootings while fostering stronger relationships. An internal 2024 survey showed 70% of employees felt the training applied to their daily duties. From 2023 to 2024, use-of-force incidents fell by 24%, external complaints fell by 61%, internal complaints fell by 39% and officer-involved shootings fell by 43%.

These improvements reflect not only stronger accountability but also a culture shift within the department, one that actively recognizes and rewards excellence. The "Acts of Excellence" component of the CMPD Serves program, which acknowledges employees for going above and beyond, has recognized 137 employees in the first two quarters of this year.

The CMPD’s 2025 Mid-Year Public Safety Report statistics follow national standards set by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) summary statistics.

The following statistical breakdown provides a snapshot of crime through the Mid-Year of 2025 compared to the Mid-Year of 2024.

Violent crimes: 2,760 offenses in 2025 compared to 3,688 offenses in 2024.
Homicides: 42 in 2025 compared to 59 in 2024.
Aggravated assaults: 2,110 in 2025 compared to 2,825 in 2024.
Rapes: 81 in 2025 compared to 138 in 2024.
Armed robberies: 306 in 2025 compared to 412 in 2024.
Property crimes: 17,524 offenses in 2025 compared to 18,356 in 2024.
Residential burglaries: 795 in 2025 compared to 869 in 2024.
Commercial burglaries: 1,557 in 2025 compared to 1,144 in 2024.
Larcenies from automobiles: 5,062 in 2025 compared to 4,931 in 2024.
Vehicle thefts: 3,120 in 2025 compared to 4,013 in 2024.
Arsons: 71 in 2025 compared to 81 in 2024.

To review the full press conference or to access graphics and data shared:

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