Reports of violent crime dropped by double digits last year, according to the latest federal reporting.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released its Reported Crime in the Nation Statistics for 2025 last week, which reflected some violent crimes dropping by nearly 20% nationwide.
According to the FBI, its Uniform Crime Reporting Program reflected that 2024-2025 marked the largest year-to-year decline in violent crimes in nearly 100 years. The FBI began those estimations in 1936.
Nationally, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offense reports decreased by more than 18%. Rape offense reports decreased by nearly 8%. Aggravated assault reports decreased by more than 18%. Property crime decreased by more than 12%.
Additionally, the FBI reported that the murder rate for 2025 tied with the lowest murder rate on record, which occurred in 1955 and 1956: 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.
21,499 reports of aggravated assault: a 10% decrease from 2024 (24,067) and a 7% decrease from (23,121)
363 reports of homicide: a 10% decrease from 2025 (407) and 23% decrease from 2023 (477)
2,867 reports of rape: a 10% decrease from 2024 (3,192) and 14% decrease from 2024 (3,361)
3,785 reports of robbery: a 23% decrease from 2024 (4,969) and 20% decrease from 2023 (4,775)
These first two years of the Trump administration, from January 2025 through the latest reporting in August 2026, there have been 32,811 reports of aggravated assault, 495 reports of homicide, 4,281 reports of rape, and 5,804 reports of robbery in Arizona.
In a similar capture of the first two years of the Biden administration, from January 2021 through August 2022, there were 25,899 reports of aggravated assault, 540 reports of homicide, 4,081 reports of rape, and 5,034 reports of robbery.
The last two years of the Biden administration, from January 2023 through August 2024, there were 39,485 reports of aggravated assault, 735 reports of homicide, 5,529 reports of rape, and 8,123 reports of robbery.
The entirety of Biden’s administration, there were 80,643 reports of aggravated assault, 1,616 reports of homicide, 11,825 reports of rape, and 16,594 reports of robbery.
The entirety of Trump’s first administration, there were 94,824 reports of aggravated assault, 1,640 reports of homicide, 14,111 reports of rape, and 26,652 reports of robbery.
FBI Director Kash Patel released a preview of reported crime data for 2026 which reflected a continued decline in violent crimes.
According to the report, preliminary trends established by reports made from January through June 2026 reflect violent crime down by more than 10%, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter down by 23%, rape down by more than 18%, robbery down by more than 19%, and aggravated assault down by more than 7%.
The agency also shared that there was a 2.4% increase in law enforcement agencies submitting their crime data compared with the previous year.
The FBI also reported on law enforcement feloniously killed in the line of duty. Last year, 53 law enforcement officers were killed; a decline from 2024. According to the agency, more law enforcement officers were feloniously killed from 2021 to 2024 than any other consecutive four-year period.
The White House claimed the declining crime rates as the result of the Trump administration’s focus on “unprecedented enforcement” along with the support of a Republican trifecta.
The FBI reported a 90% increase in violent crime arrests, a 13% increase in child predator and human trafficker arrests, and the capture of nine of the Ten Most Wanted fugitives and four of the Most Wanted Fraudsters.
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Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) is calling for greater accountability over decisions by four prosecuting offices to decline charges against a hacker who admitted to exploiting a Maricopa County website and extracting approximately 633,000 voter registration records shortly before the 2020 election.
During an interview with Just the News, Hamadeh said he wants to know which prosecutors were responsible for the decisions after the FBI investigated the breach, identified the suspect, and obtained an admission.
“I’m still curious to know, you know, which attorneys at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, in Maricopa County, Pinal County, declined charges, especially when the FBI referred it and had this case pretty much handed on a platter to these prosecuting agencies, and they all refused,” Hamadeh said.
Every week, more election vulnerabilities get exposed.
Thank God @POTUS, the most transparent president in American history, is finally getting the truth out.
Congressman Hamadeh joined @jsolomonReports to break down the latest Arizona election integrity bombshell.
The…
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) August 8, 2026
The comments followed the release of declassified FBI records detailing the investigation into the 2020 intrusion. In an Aug. 4 letter, FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators confirmed voter records were illegally extracted from a Maricopa County site and identified a suspect who admitted committing the offense.
According to the FBI, the suspect discovered a vulnerability in the county’s voter registration system, wrote a PowerShell script to exploit it, and illegally scraped approximately 633,000 voter files. About 930 contained sensitive, nonpublic information, Patel wrote.
The affected records included full names, voter identification numbers, and party affiliations. Approximately 930 contained sensitive information involving domestic violence victims, judges, and law enforcement officers. The document said Social Security numbers were not included in the information obtained.
The vulnerability allowed an intruder to place voter identification numbers directly into the website URL and bypass its normal authentication process, according to the FBI. The PowerShell script then automated sequential requests for voter registration information.
Hamadeh said the scale of the breach raises questions about the cybersecurity capabilities of less-populous jurisdictions.
“Maricopa County, which isn’t just the biggest county in Arizona, it’s the fourth biggest county in the entire country,” Hamadeh said during the interview. “So if you have these people, these hackers able to exfiltrate into the data systems of a big county like Maricopa, imagine what they can do to some of these smaller counties that don’t have the cyber tech and the counter cyber measures that Maricopa County may have.”
An FBI interview summary said the suspect first discovered the vulnerability around September 2020 after noticing that his voter identification number appeared in the website URL. He tested other seven-digit numbers and discovered that he could access other voters’ registration information.
The suspect then developed the PowerShell script and initially downloaded between 100 and 1,000 records during a trial run before expanding the operation, according to the FBI. He estimated that he ultimately downloaded between 1 million and 2 million records, while investigators documented approximately 633,000 exfiltrated voter records.
The suspect stored information on personal hard drives and a Google Cloud account before deleting it after becoming concerned about law enforcement consequences, according to the FBI report. He described himself to investigators as a “hacker or tinkerer” and accepted responsibility for his actions.
FBI agents executed a search warrant at the suspect’s Fountain Hills residence on Nov. 5, 2020. According to the bureau’s May 2023 case-closure document, investigators analyzed seized devices and obtained records involving the suspect’s bank, social media, and email accounts.
Investigators concluded that he had developed and operated the PowerShell script and later deleted the extracted information. The FBI said investigators found no indication of domestic or foreign influence over his actions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona declined prosecution. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office also declined the case and advised the FBI that it had presented the matter to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, which also declined. Investigators then presented the case to the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, which likewise declined prosecution, according to the closure memorandum.
The federal declination occurred July 12, 2021. The released documents do not identify when the other three offices made their decisions.
Because all four prosecuting offices declined the matter, investigators requested closure of the case in May 2023.
Hamadeh said accountability in the case remains unresolved.
“The win that the American people had here in Arizona, especially what we’re still trying to get, is justice,” Hamadeh said during the interview.
Hamadeh also described the intrusion as a “direct attack on democracy” and referred to manipulation of voter files during his remarks. The released FBI documents establish that voter registration information was accessed and exfiltrated; they do not show that the suspect altered voter records, accessed ballots, or changed votes. Just the News also reported that there is no evidence votes were changed as a result of the intrusion.
The newly released records contrast with what Maricopa County officials publicly said about the incident during the aftermath of the 2020 election. In July 2021, county officials told Capitol Media Services that the intruder had accessed a voter registration website but had not penetrated the server storing voter registration records, and said only voter registration numbers had been obtained without access to personal information. The FBI records released this week state that approximately 633,000 voter registration records were exfiltrated and that about 930 contained sensitive voter information.
Hamadeh has made election security a legislative priority in Congress. He urged the Senate in July to pass the SAVE America Act, after the House previously passed the measure and subsequently advanced its provisions through other legislative vehicles. The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration and identification to cast a ballot in federal elections.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating a shooting that targeted a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in central Phoenix after individuals fired multiple rounds at the building’s exterior.
According to the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, the shooting occurred on July 14, 2026, at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations building located at 2035 N. Central Ave., near Central Avenue and Monte Vista Road.
FBI Phoenix Investigates Shooting Incident at Federal ERO Building
Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area of North Central Avenue on Tuesday, July 14, in the afternoon, or who has information regarding this shooting, is urged to contact the FBI: •Call the FBI… pic.twitter.com/NBLoy0hHxF
Authorities said several rounds struck the exterior of the federal immigration facility.
No injuries were reported as a result of the gunfire, and the damage appears to have been limited to the outside of the building.
The FBI has confirmed that one or more unidentified individuals fired the shots. The agency has not announced any arrests or identified any suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Later that same day, protestors gathered outside the ICE facility. However, federal investigators said there is currently no indication that the demonstration was connected to the shooting.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about the incident to come forward as investigators continue working to determine who was responsible.
Federal authorities have not released additional details regarding a possible motive. The FBI said it will continue investigating the incident and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reveals that assault constitutes the crime most commonly committed in Arizona.
An analysis of the latest data available on the Law Enforcement Agency Reported Crime Analysis Tool (LEARCAT), a Bureau of Justice Statistics database, found nearly 38,700 incidents of simple assault in 2024. This data is limited to the state’s participating law enforcement agencies.
Simple assault refers to both assaults and attempted assaults where the perpetrator didn’t use a weapon or where the victim didn’t sustain a serious or aggravated injury. This classification includes stalking, intimidation, coercion, and hazing, per the FBI.
The research, conducted by the Injury Lawyer Team, estimated that simple assaults occurred about once every 14 minutes in the state.
The second-most common crime reported in Arizona was shoplifting (30,800 incidents), followed by destruction, damage, or vandalism of property (27,500 incidents); drug equipment violations (27,400 incidents); all other larceny (21,100 incidents); drug or narcotic violations (21,000 incidents); motor vehicle theft (10,500 incidents); aggravated assault (10,100 incidents); theft from a motor vehicle (10,100 incidents); and burglary and breaking and entering (9,700 incidents).
Arizona experiencing simple assault as its most common crime was consistent with the national trend. In 2024, there were over two million recorded incidents of simple assault nationwide. 28 states reported simple assault as their most common crime.
Preliminary data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program reflected a decline in violent crime in 2025 so steep that it could prove historical, per FBI Director Kash Patel. Overall, violent crime was predicted to have decreased by an estimated 9%.
“The 2025 crime data in this report shows the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder since 1937 – as well as huge decreases across the board in terms of aggravated assault, rape, and robbery,” said Patel. “Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working. This FBI will continue to stack these wins for the American people under President Trump and always Back the Blue every step of the way.”
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased by an estimated 18%; rape decreased by an estimated 7%; robbery decreased by an estimated 18%; and aggravated assault decreased by an estimated 7%.
The program received data from more than 17,000 agencies representing 96% of the population (in 2024, the program relied on data from nearly 16,700 agencies).
Part of this preliminary steep decline came from data submitted by the Phoenix Police Department. Phoenix police reflected a decline in violent crime, including homicide, over the last few years.
2025 had 1,000-plus fewer incidents of violent crime reported than 2024.
Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) data agrees with this pattern of decline in violent crimes reflected by Phoenix police. AZDPS reported that violent crime — more than 27,100 cases with 44% clearance rate — declined by more than 13% compared to 2024.
AZDPS data also reflected an overall decline in violent crime over the past five years.
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Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) announced this week that language from his legislation aimed at restoring veterans’ Second Amendment rights has been incorporated into a bipartisan bill advancing through Congress.
According to a statement from Crane’s office, language from H.R. 496 was added to H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week and now heads to the Senate.
The legislation would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reporting veterans to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) solely because they receive assistance managing their VA benefits through a fiduciary program.
Crane’s provision incorporated into H.R. 1041 would restore Second Amendment rights to veterans previously reported to NICS solely due to fiduciary participation.
The measure would require a judicial determination that a veteran poses a danger to themselves or others before Second Amendment rights could be restricted through NICS reporting.
Crane said the addition of his bill language strengthens the legislation by addressing veterans already affected by the prior reporting policy.
“I’m pleased to see the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs add my language from H.R. 496 to the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act,” Crane said. “This addition strengthens the bill, ensuring the retroactive removal of veterans who were wrongly added to the FBI’s NICS list.”
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) said the legislation is intended to protect veterans receiving financial assistance services from losing constitutional rights without court involvement.
“The men and women who have served and defended Constitutional rights for generations of Americans should not have to worry that they will be reported to NICS and lose their rights simply because they need help managing their books,” Bost said. “Veterans should never be treated like second-class citizens.”
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, also supported the measure, stating that only courts—not agency officials—should determine whether constitutional rights are restricted.
The legislation follows policy changes announced earlier this year by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In February, the VA announced it would stop reporting veterans enrolled in the fiduciary program to NICS solely because they receive assistance managing benefits. The department stated it was also working with the FBI to remove prior VA-related NICS submissions connected only to fiduciary participation.
VA Secretary Doug Collins said at the time that veterans had been deprived of Second Amendment rights without sufficient due process protections.
Today, the House passed the bipartisan Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.
This bill codifies @POTUS’ directive stopping the VA from reporting veterans to the FBI’s NICS list for using a fiduciary.
Following House passage, Crane praised the legislation and urged Senate approval.
“If the federal government is willing to strip the God‑given, unalienable rights of those who served in uniform, there is no telling where they will draw the line. H.R. 1041 codifies the termination of this un‑American practice and prevents future administrations from unilaterally reversing this wise decision.”
He added, “I’m grateful to President Trump for protecting the rights of our nation’s heroes, and I appreciate Chairman Bost for adopting my language into his bill. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass these necessary reforms.”
