Press Release  Massachusetts Crime Rates Continue Downward Trend Ahead of Summer Season Preliminary 2024 Data Shows Fewer Violent and Property Crimes Statewide

BOSTON — As communities across Massachusetts prepare for the busy July 4th holiday and the peak summer season, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced preliminary 2024 crime statistics, showing continued progress in enhancing public safety and reducing crime across Massachusetts. According to early data submitted to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), Part One crimes in Massachusetts declined in 2024 by 4.4% compared to 2023, with total NIBRS offenses dropping by 6.5%. 

The latest data reflects Massachusetts’ strong momentum heading into the summer months, supported by targeted investments in youth programs, community-based prevention strategies, and robust partnerships between law enforcement agencies and local organizations.

Participation in crime data reporting also reached a new milestone in 2024, with 394 state and local law enforcement agencies submitting a full year of statistics, up from 384 in 2023. This growth in participation demonstrates an increasing statewide commitment to transparency, accountability, and data-informed public safety efforts.

“This new data is encouraging and reflects the important work that law enforcement and community partners do day in and day out to keep the people of Massachusetts safe,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We know there is always more work to be done, and we remain committed to bringing people together to continue to enhance public safety in communities across the state.”

“Partnership between law enforcement and the communities they serve is the cornerstone of effective public safety. The continued improvements that we see in 2024 reflect a deeply held shared commitment to collaborative solutions that promote safer communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Data-driven analysis and transparency are essential tools to strengthening public safety and empowering communities.”

“While this 2024 data offers an encouraging snapshot-in-time, it also reinforces the importance of staying focused and coordinated in our efforts to reduce crime” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement as well as our many community partners and remain dedicated to our continued efforts to develop cooperative, evidence-based solutions that keep our Massachusetts neighborhoods safe.”

In 2024, the Healey-Driscoll Administration invested more than $45 million in targeted public safety initiatives that have contributed to a measurable decline in crime in communities statewide. This robust funding administered by the Office of Grants and Research has supported a wide range of programs, including violence prevention efforts, reentry services, emerging adult initiatives, nonprofit security enhancements, and strategies to combat human trafficking and substance use disorder. From the Shannon Community Safety Initiative to the Emerging Adult Reentry Initiative and Commonwealth Project Safe Neighborhood, these resources have strengthened partnerships and interventions that keep Massachusetts communities safer.

Significant highlights from the 2024 data include:

• Homicides decreased by 11.4% with 132 reported incidents. This figure is below the five-year average of 146. 
• Robberies fell by 8.6%, aggravated assaults dropped by 5.7%, and motor vehicle thefts saw a sharp decrease of 16.1%. 
• Fraud-related offenses, including identity theft and welfare fraud, experienced double-digit declines. 

While overall hate crime incidents decreased, the 2024 data identified a troubling 20.5% increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. For the first time since tracking began in 1991, anti-Jewish bias incidents surpassed anti-Black incidents as the most reported hate crime in Massachusetts. Additionally, Massachusetts experienced a decrease in anti-transgender bias incidents from 2023 to 2024.

The administration remains deeply committed to embracing diversity, upholding its values, and combatting incidents of hate crimes. This is achieved through numerous key initiatives, including the launch of the State Police Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team (HART), the awarding of over $15.5 million in security grants for high-risk nonprofits and hosting statewide educational forums and seminars for law enforcement and faith-based organizations. The Legislative Task Force on Hate Crimes continues to advise the administration as it advances efforts to promote justice, equity and civil rights protections statewide. 

While national and regional trends, such as a rise in shoplifting offenses, also impacted Massachusetts, overall crime reductions, including violent crime, affirm the positive impact of statewide public safety strategies. 

In looking at overall offenses with a firearm, Homicides with a Firearm were down nearly 22%, Robberies with a Firearm were down by nearly 16%, and Aggravated Assaults with a Firearm were down by 10.65%. 

To better understand the prevalence of firearm-related crime statewide, Massachusetts began tracking data on fatal and non-fatal shootings by adding “Gunshot Wound” as an injury type in its NIBRS collection. This new data initiative, implemented in the summer of 2024, makes Massachusetts the first state-in-the-nation to collect this data point. Collecting and analyzing this data will allow Massachusetts again to be at the forefront of data analysis and data-driven decision making. In 2024, the state captured information on 400 fatal and non-fatal shootings. 

The FBI typically releases the official 2024 national crime statistics audited in September. Massachusetts crime analysts will continue to review data to identify emerging trends. 

Members of the public are invited to review the preliminary crime data here.  

###