Columbus is showing signs of a steep drop in violent crime this year, including homicides and felony assaults, like in 2024 at this same time.
Last year, the city saw 123 homicides, the lowest total since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike nationwide. So far this year the Columbus Division of Police said there's been 39 homicides compared to 57 by the end of June last year.
Columbus stayed above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels last year that saw the city reach a record 205 homicides in 2021.
Similarly, Columbus Division of Police reports a drop in felonious assaults and shootings in the city as the halfway point of the year was reached. Police investigated 388 felony assaults by June 30, down from 549 in the previous the year.
There have been 247 shootings this year (387 by the end of June 2024) of which there were 112 where someone was injured by a gunshot. Of the 39 homicides so far this year, 32 of the victims died from a gunshot wound.
Community groups are once again aiming to keep homicides below 100 for the first time since 2014. Malissa Thomas St. Clair with Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children said that is a real possibility this year.
"I'm extremely optimistic and we will see it through," St. Clair told WOSU. "If it doesn't happen this year, we're gonna keep going. And when we do meet that, we are gonna sustain it and continue to work to reduce it."
CPD declined to comment, deferring to its regular year-end crime statistics news conference when a fuller picture of the year is available.
This trend in Columbus isn't unique. Many large cities have experienced a drop in homicides and continue to do so since highs seen during the pandemic.
NPR reports in 2024, murders fell by at least 14% across the U.S., according to analyses by the data firm AH Datalytics and the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank. Official data from the FBI goes only through 2023 but shows similar drops. Early analyses from AH Datalytics suggest the drop will be even bigger in 2025.
St. Clair thinks Columbus should be seen as a "flagship" or "trailblazer" among large cities when it comes to violence reduction over the last few years. She attributes the drop to law enforcement and the community working together to create change.
St. Clair said that just because Columbus is a big, growing, city, residents shouldn't expect crime to be higher.
"These are lives. What you should expect is we're in a big city and we have a lot to offer," St. Clair said. "So let's make decisions where we can truly invest as community members in what we have to offer."
St. Clair said efforts by her own group and Columbus police are focusing on reducing crime among young people and domestic violence related shootings, which spiked last year.
St. Clair also said the year Columbus does get under triple digits won't be a celebratory moment, but a sign to keep moving.
"We are working together as a community, honoring the lives lost, but continuing to do the intentional work," St. Clair said.
