Data shows violent crime dropping in Minnesota despite recent concerns about gang violence
Amidst an outcry at the local level about recent gun violence, annual reporting at the state and federal level shows violent crime is continuing to drop in Minnesota.
Christopher Dotson, the special agent in charge leading the FBI Field Office in Minneapolis, said that he expects the positive trend to continue. He said that he has spent time with five field offices over the course of his career, but he's never seen the level of collaboration he's witnessed between law enforcement agencies in Minnesota. He said that teamwork is, in his opinion, largely to thank for the numbers moving in the right direction.
"I can tell you as a state, as a whole, it's gone down significantly," Dotson told WCCO, "those are good news stories that I think we gotta remember."
In September, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension published its 2025 Uniform Crime Report, which helps feed the FBI's crime data. The report shows that overall crime dropped by 9% between 2024 and 2025. The number of murders dropped from 172 to 130, an approximate 25% drop, and aggravated assaults dropped by 11%, going from 9,842 to 8,762 statewide.
The report was published right before shootings in Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Edina that local law enforcement attribute to Somali gang violence. In community meetings that followed, some residents expressed that they no longer feel safe and believe the problem is getting worse.
"When we say violence is down but there's a shooting in your neighborhood, I know that's a hard pill to swallow," Dotson said.
Dotson said that from his perspective at the FBI, it's a manageable problem that he believes can be brought under control. He said that he does not know the specifics of what is being proposed, but supports the general idea of local law enforcement organizing a Somali gang-focused task force.
Dotson said he also agreed that the gangs under the spotlight are unique given the lack of focus on moving money or drugs or defending turf; however, he noted that the gang distinction can help involve federal partners given the possibility of investigating conspiracy-based crimes.
He also echoed sentiments from local leaders to avoid painting an entire community with the same brush.
"I do not think that a couple of lone acts or violent offenders should be used to define a community. Again, when we define this community or identify where the subject is coming from, we are also identifying part of the solution. It's an opportunity for outreach and it could be a plea for partnership," Dotson said.
At the moment, he did not indicate whether the FBI was directly involved in investigating recent gang activity in the suburbs beyond the general commitment to share information and resources.
