Phoenix violent crime falls from early 2025 levels

Violent crime fell in Phoenix in early 2026, putting the city in line with other large U.S. cities.

Why it matters: Violent crime fell across major categories during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025, according to data collected by the Major Cities Chiefs Association from 67 major U.S. law enforcement agencies.

In Phoenix:

Homicides: 30 → 25

Rapes: 248 → 219

Robberies: 616 → 586

Aggravated assaults 2,046 → 2,035

Meanwhile, Mesa saw increases in all categories except rape, with murders increasing from three to four.

Tucson experienced drops in murders, robberies and aggravated assaults but saw an increase in rapes.

Zoom out: Homicides dropped nearly 18% among the 67 cities surveyed.

Robberies fell 20%.

Rapes declined 7%.

Aggravated assaults decreased 5%.

Yes, but: The recovery remains uneven.

Some cities still reported increases in certain violent crime categories, such as a 100% spike in homicides in San Diego, even as overall violence fell.

Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Virginia Beach, Va., were among the cities that posted overall increases in violent crime totals during the quarter, according to Axios' analysis of the MCCA data.

Police leaders also caution that crime trends can shift quickly heading into the summer months, when violence historically rises.

The bottom line: America's largest cities are continuing to get safer in 2026, even as crime remains one of the country's most politically potent issues.