California cities are experiencing record-low homicide rates in 2025-2026, with major urban centers reaching milestones not seen in decades, according to reports in early 2026. Los Angeles is seeing its lowest homicides since 1966, Oakland since 1967, and San Francisco since 1954, following a nationwide post-pandemic decline. This trend reflects broader decreases in violent and property crimes across the state.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said gun seizures have helped drive the reduction. “One of the factors impacting that reduction is taking more guns off the street,” McDonnell said. “In 2025, 8,650 firearms were seized by the LAPD.” The department also reported fewer shooting victims overall.
California’s declines are part of a broader, consistent downward trend in violent crime (including aggravated assault, robbery, and burglary), despite the “tough on crime” rhetoric the public has heard over recent years. While multifactorial, contributing factors include increased gun seizures and community-oriented policing.
Another example of this decline is in East Palo Alto. East Palo Alto saw zero homicides in 2023, a major turnaround credited to community investment and development. In 1992, East Palo Alto was dubbed the “murder capital” of the United States with 42 murders in its 2.5 square miles, a per capita rate higher than that of any other city of any size.
“We’ve always had at least one, and to reach zero is just such a monumental achievement for our whole community,” Police Chief Jeff Liu said. “It’s like the goal that always slipped through our fingers.”
Along with the work of his police force, Liu credited residents and the efforts they put into reducing crime, through helping youth and alerting officers to what was happening in the city. That wouldn’t be possible, he said, if the department hadn’t built up trust.
As with the long-term homicide rate declines, the recent decreases in homicides in California is part of a nationwide trend. A report published last month by the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., think tank found that among 35 major cities nationwide, homicides dropped by 21% between 2024 and 2025.
You can read more in “California cities just saw their lowest homicide rates in decades. It’s not clear why” at the Cal Matters website. Cal Matters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding leaders accountable.
