Gun Control Pushes On Despite Crime PLUMMET

Revolvers and bullets on a dark surface.

Despite experiencing the largest one-year drop in homicides ever recorded, America’s gun control advocates show no signs of letting historic crime reductions slow their restrictive agenda.

Story Overview

2025 data shows homicides plummeted 20%, the largest single-year decline in U.S. history
Violent crime and property crime hit their lowest levels since the 1960s across major cities
Crime rates have now returned to pre-pandemic levels after the 2020 surge during social unrest
Cities like Chicago saw homicides drop 49% from their 2021 peak, with similar dramatic declines nationwide

The Numbers Tell a Remarkable Story

Crime analysts are calling 2025 a watershed year for public safety. Jeff Asher, a former CIA analyst who tracks crime data through his Real-Time Crime Index covering 550 agencies, reports that homicides dropped between 16-20% nationwide. This eclipses every previous annual decline on record. Chicago experienced a 30% year-over-year drop, while Washington D.C. saw homicides fall 31%. New York City recorded its lowest number of shootings in recorded history.

The FBI’s preliminary data through late 2025 shows violent crime down 8-10% and property crime falling 10-12%. These figures represent the culmination of a steady recovery from the crime surge that began in 2020 during the pandemic and social unrest following George Floyd’s death. That year, homicides jumped 30% as cities grappled with reduced policing, court closures, and widespread civil disorder.

From Crisis to Historic Lows

The turnaround began in 2022 when homicides fell 6%, followed by a 13% drop in 2023 and 15% in 2024. But 2025’s 20% plunge dwarfs those improvements. Cities that were synonymous with violence just four years ago now boast crime rates not seen since the 1960s and 1970s. The Council on Criminal Justice found that 327 fewer homicides occurred in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024 across just 30 major cities.

Law enforcement officials credit targeted strategies focusing on narcotics trafficking and gang prosecutions, combined with federal partnership programs. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced record-low shooting numbers, while Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry proclaimed “the reset is here.” These results vindicate police departments that faced intense scrutiny and budget cuts during the “defund the police” movement of 2020-2021.

The Persistence of Gun Control Despite Success

What makes this crime reduction particularly significant is its contradiction of common gun control narratives. Gun-related assaults dropped 21% according to the Council on Criminal Justice, and overall shootings fell 17% based on Gun Violence Archive data. These improvements occurred without any major federal gun control legislation, suggesting that traditional law enforcement methods and community partnerships proved more effective than restrictive policies.

The dramatic crime reduction undermines the crisis atmosphere that typically drives gun control advocacy. When violent crime reaches historic lows and gun violence specifically declines by double digits, the urgency argument for sweeping restrictions loses considerable force. Yet gun control organizations continue pushing the same agenda they promoted during the 2020 crime wave, seemingly undeterred by the changed reality on America’s streets.