Reported crime in North Carolina declined across all major categories during the first six months of 2026, according to a Criminal Justice Analysis Center crime‑trends report presented to the Governor’s Crime Commission today. The report, “Trends in Reported Crime in NC, January – June 2026,” outlines progress in reducing statewide crime following pandemic‑era spikes.
Key findings include:
- Violent crime is down 5.8%, extending declines in 2024 and 2025. The 2021 rise was steep, and the fall has been just as fast.
- Property crime is down 11.9%, the steepest decline of the four categories, over double the rate of violent crime.
- Financial crime is down 2.1%, also falling steadily since 2024, though at a slower pace than violent or property crime.
- Drug crime is down 3.2%. Unlike the other categories, it fell in 2024 before rising through 2025. The current decline may signal a turning point, but it’s too early to know if it will hold.
- Individual offense comparisons show widespread declines, with extortion or blackmail standing as the only major type of offense that increased, continuing a rise that began in 2020. The steepest declines were in motor vehicle theft and counterfeiting or forgery offenses. Both fell by over 20%.
- Firearm‑related offenses shifted notably, with firearm homicides down 14.1%, other firearm‑related crimes down 8.0% and weapons violations rising slightly by 2.1% compared with last year.
- Kidnapping/abduction and intimidation increased, rising 4.6% and 8.2% respectively. Intimate partners were responsible for 54% of kidnapping offenses and substantial portions of intimidation offenses. Analysts note these increases may signal rising levels of intimate partner violence and stalking despite broader declines in violent crime.
“These insights will help our law enforcement agencies understand where we are seeing success and where emerging needs are developing,” said Caroline Farmer, executive director of the Governor’s Crime Commission. “Strong trend information allows us to respond more effectively, support victims and ensure resources are committed to the right initiatives.”
View the full “Trends in Reported Crime in NC, January – June 2026” on the NC Department of Public Safety’s website.
About the Criminal Justice Analysis Center
The Criminal Justice Analysis Center sits within the Governor’s Crime Commission in the NC Department of Public Safety and serves as the state’s federally designated statistical analysis center. CJAC compiles statewide data on crime, criminal justice system activity, traffic stops and deaths in custody. It also coordinates with state agencies that collect data relevant to public safety and publishes data-driven analyses that inform conversations among the public, the Governor’s Crime Commission and other criminal justice partners.
CJAC provides public access to crime and criminal justice data at the state and county level via the NC Justice Data Portal and leads an advisory group focused on the alignment and analysis of multiagency justice data sources in the state of North Carolina.