Serious violent crimes in Connecticut, including murder, manslaughter, assault and rape, dropped from 2023 to 2024 and are at their lowest level since at least 2021, according to the latest data from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
Murders in the state declined nearly 35%, and cases of criminal sexual contact declined nearly 18% from 2023 to 2024, according to an Oct. 7 press release from the CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, based on data collected by the National Incident-Based Reporting System.
“This police data confirms that public safety trends are continuing to move in the right direction, that Connecticut remains one of the safest states in the country, and that we should keep implementing policies that will reduce the rates of crime even further,’’ said Gov. Ned Lamont in the press release.
A Norwich police car parked at the department’s headquarters at 70 Thames St.
This trend continued into the first two quarters of 2025, and when comparing the number of crimes classified as “crimes against persons” this year to the first two quarters of 2024, there was an overall drop in cases.
There was even more of a decline in incidents of theft, robberies and burglaries, shoplifting and larceny, vandalism and all other incidents classified under the National Incident-Based Reporting System as “crimes against property.” Compared to the first two quarters of 2024, there were 19.1% fewer incidents of property crimes, with drops in nearly every category.
This decline follows a spike in property crimes in 2023, where property crimes hit the highest rates seen from 2021 to 2025.
However, from 2024 to 2025, crimes against society, which include drug and weapons violations, increased. This was largely due to an overall increase in drug violations. Weapons violations and pornography and obscene material violations both dropped.
“Group B offenses” include less serious crimes that lead to arrests, including disorderly conduct, trespassing and driving under the influence. These offenses rose 4.3% from 2024 to 2025, with increases in arrests for trespassing incidents and disorderly conduct.
Across the nation, as in Connecticut, violent and property crimes were on the decline in 2024 compared to 2023. According to the Councils of State Governments Justice Center, there was a decrease in violent crime rates in 39 states and D.C. from 2019 to 2024.
While the majority of Connecticut towns saw major drops in crime rates from 2023 to 2024, a few towns saw increases.
Col. Daniel Loughman of the Connecticut State Police attributed the fall in violent crimes to the work of police.
“Our troopers are on the front lines every day, and the progress in these reports belongs to them,’’ Loughman said. “Their hard work and dedication, combined with collaboration with our municipal and federal partners, is what keeps Connecticut moving in the right direction.”
Sasha Allen is a reporter for The Connecticut Mirror (https://ctmirror.org). Copyright 2025 © The Connecticut Mirror.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Violent crime down in Connecticut, including murder, assault, rape
