US homicide rate heading to new historic low. Experts are not sure why

Crime rates across major U.S. cities have plummeted in 2026, with homicides on track to hit their lowest level since record-keeping began in 1900, according to a report released Thursday by the independent Council on Criminal Justice.

Researchers told Straight Arrow there is no single explanation — or consensus — for why crime is falling so dramatically. Notably, crime rates dropped across the country, regardless of location, population size or local politics.

"It was a good surprise," Ernesto Lopez, the report's co-author, told Straight Arrow.