Violent crime in America is on the way down.

After peaking during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of murders has rapidly trended downward. Allegheny County is not just seeing a decline; it is outpacing the trend. 

KDKA Investigates looked into what's behind the county's success in preventing deadly crime so far this year. 

Violent crime down in Allegheny County

It's only the end of September, but Allegheny County is already talking about a banner year in 2025.

So far, the county has seen the fewest homicides since 2007, when the county started monthly recordkeeping.

"It's a decrease of more than 40% over the last two years, which is pretty incredible," Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said.

As of Sept. 26, there have been 46 homicides in Allegheny County. If that pattern holds, the county is on track for the least deadly year in decades. 

Allegheny County is a success story

While it's part of a nationwide trend that's seen homicides fall by 14% from 2023 to 2024 and decline from a recent peak in 2020, Allegheny County is an even greater success story.

The county went from 111 murders in 2020, climbed to a five-year peak of 122 in 2022 and now has three consecutive years of decline. Allegheny County is on track for fewer than 75 homicides this year, the fewest on record in 20 years.

So, what's behind the success? 

"If we had that magic recipe, we would have deployed it long ago," said Victor Joseph, assistant superintendent for the Allegheny County Police Department.

The magic recipe's main ingredient may be money. Innamorato said in late 2023, the county made a massive investment in tackling violence. 

"Our Department of Human Services, we've worked with them to make a five-year, $50 million commitment to violence intervention and disruption," she said.

That money came from pandemic funds in the American Rescue Plan, and it's invested in supporting intervention at the community level immediately after a homicide or assault. 

"Police and the violence interruption team will contact a trusted member of the community to go into the hospital, to have conversations with those who were involved, to de-escalate, to get to the bottom of it," Innamorato said.

Joseph said the Department of Human Services has led the approach to community collaboration and says it's down to treating the root causes of crime.

"Violence is looked at as the disease, and what things that they can do to disrupt the transmission of that disease," he said.
So, they look at the at-risk individuals, if they're at risk of either being a shooter or being a victim of violent crime, and they want to give those folks services to stop the trend."

Allegheny County law enforcement is also taking illegal guns off the street. County police said they've seized 107 illegal guns so far this year.

"We were 102 all of last year," Joseph said. "We still have some time to go."

As the number of murders has declined each year, the number of solved murders has increased. The county's percentage of cleared homicides went from 55 percent in 2018 to 84 percent in 2024.

"Technology plays a huge role in the solving violent crimes today," Joseph said.

So far in 2025, county police have cleared 77% of the murders they have investigated.

"That is very helpful in the ecosystem of preventing repeat offenders and providing closure to families," Innamorato said. 

Keeping the trend going

Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Justice has slashed funds for violence prevention, including cuts of more than $300 million this year to programs that prevent gun violence. 

Innamorato said the county has avoided some of the instability with its five-year commitment. 

"They can continue that work with the peace of mind that the funding is going to be there to support them," she said. 

"What's important is that you stay consistent, that you say committed, and that you keep working to the goal, which is to eliminate all violence," he said.