Georgia violent crimes drop 10.5% in 2024, above national average, FBI says

Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Aug 6, 2025

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ATLANTA — Every 16 minutes, a violent crime occurred in Georgia in 2024, according to the FBI. Nationwide, violence happened every 25.9 seconds.

That’s better than the previous year, according to data released Tuesday.

Violent crimes in Georgia dropped approximately 10.5% in 2024 from the previous year. Nationwide, violence dropped 4.5%, the agency’s data shows. The crime statistics were voluntarily reported by 95.6% of law enforcement agencies across the country, or 16,675 departments, the FBI said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown, based in the Atlanta office, says the downward trends are a positive sign.

“It is complex,” Brown told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But what you can see is this is the result of focused effort. When you see aggressive investigation, a surge of resources and aggressive prosecution, you can expect to see these numbers come down.”

Experts say the downward trend is a good sign, but even more work needs to be done. After an increase in violence when the pandemic hit, law enforcement agencies nationwide are working to return to previous levels.

“We’re pleased to see the decrease in crime statistics,” Brown said. “But we’re definitely not satisfied with that. Until the number is near zero, we won’t be satisfied. We’ll continue our focused effort to make sure they trend down far below what those pre-pandemic numbers were.”

While murders decreased 14.9% across the country in 2024, the decrease was just 5.1% in Georgia, where there were 706 homicides, the FBI reported. The City of Atlanta reported 127 of those homicides, according to department data.

“Having a metropolitan area as large as Atlanta certainly is a factor in that,” Brown said. “We partner very closely with the Atlanta Police Department. They’re doing a great job and you can expect those numbers to continue to trend down.”

So far this year, Atlanta has seen a decline in both homicides and overall crime, according to Mayor Andre Dickens. As of Saturday, homicides were down 25% from 2024 and crime overall is down 8% from 2024.

The recent numbers closely align with those recently published by the Council on Criminal Justice in its mid-year report. The report found that homicide rates in the country’s largest cities are continuing to drop to levels last seen before the pandemic.

More research is needed to determine why crime numbers are declining, according to CCJ President and CEO Adam Gelb.

“Claims of credit for favored policies and programs are coming from the left and the right, but there is little evidence to back them up,” Gelb said. “Whether it’s immigration enforcement or community programs to stop violence, we need to be cautious about claiming what is currently reducing crime without more rigorous research. The critical question is not whether a particular approach works. It’s what are the strategies that work best and cost the least.”

The FBI says the reporting of crime is getting better, and that provides better data. Engaging with various populations is also key to fighting crime, the agency said. Hate crimes across the nation and in Georgia have dropped, but not enough, Brown said.

“Any time you’re affected by violent crime, crime touches you personally, that’s unacceptable,” Brown said. “Everyone deserves to feel safe and secure in their communities and their homes. Until that number is near zero, we’re not going to be satisfied.”