Harris County District Attorney Responds to New Data Showing Plummeting Rates of Crime

Calls for Meaningful Investments to Address Root Causes of Violence

(Houston, TX) - Today, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare responded to the release of new data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirming substantial drops in crime across Houston and the United States.

On Friday, the FBI released data from their Uniform Crime Reports Program revealing that 2024-2025 marked the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime rates since FBI estimates began in 1936. The data tracks with data from other sources indicating that Harris County is seeing similar declines. In May, the Major Cities Chiefs Association released a report showing that murders in Houston decreased by 36%, robberies by 34%, sexual assaults by 30%, and aggravated assaults by nearly 10% during the first quarter of this year.

“Harris County is safer today than it was just a few years ago, but statistics don’t ever erase the fear too many people in communities across Harris County still feel. If your family or loved one has been hurt by violent crime, you don’t feel a percentage point decline, you feel the loss. Everyone who lives here – regardless of what neighborhood you live in – deserves to feel safe,” said Teare. “As DA, I will continue to build on this progress by prosecuting cases, holding offenders accountable, and pursuing justice at every turn. But at the same time, we must recognize that if we are serious about making these declines sustainable, there must be generational investments in treatment, mental health services, violence prevention, and the economic opportunities that give people a reason to choose a different path.”