Durham Sees Decline in Violent, Property Crimes in 2025

Mayor calls for urgent, community-centered approach to address recent spike in gun violence

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Durham's fourth-quarter crime report shows the city saw a decrease in violent and property crimes in 2025 compared to the previous year. The number of homicides remained flat, but the city saw declines in rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Property crimes like burglaries, larcenies, and motor vehicle thefts also went down. However, Durham has experienced a recent spike in gun violence in 2026, prompting the mayor to call for a community-centered plan to address the issue.

Why it matters

The decline in Durham's crime rates in 2025 is a positive sign, but the recent uptick in gun violence has raised concerns about public safety. The mayor's call for a community-centered approach to address the issue reflects the need for a comprehensive strategy that involves both law enforcement and community stakeholders.

The details

According to the city's fourth-quarter crime report, Durham saw a 10.2% decrease in rapes, a 9.2% decrease in robberies, and a 21.5% decrease in aggravated assaults in 2025 compared to the previous year. The number of homicides remained flat at 39 each year. Durham's property crime also went down, with fewer burglaries, larcenies, and thefts of motor vehicles. The city's clearance rates increased for homicides, robberies, burglaries, larcenies, and thefts of motor vehicles, but decreased for rapes and aggravated assaults.

  • In 2025, Durham saw a decrease in violent and property crimes compared to 2024.
  • In 2026, Durham has experienced a recent spike in gun violence, with 22 people shot and 7 fatalities.

The players

Leonard Williams

The mayor of Durham, who is calling for a community-centered approach to address the recent spike in gun violence.

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What they’re saying

“I've lost my patience of hearing from folks say I'm not doing enough. Show me someone else trying to raise $1 million trying to invest in our kids.”

— Leonard Williams, Mayor of Durham (WRAL News)

“That is going to be community-centered. It's going to be a framework of strategies, from the city county all of our professional resources, and the nonprofit organizations.”

— Leonard Williams, Mayor of Durham (WRAL News)

“The first thing we have to do is triage. We have to stop the bleeding, and we have to stop it now. That's what I'm focusing on in the immediate, but we have to understand, what's the diagnosis? What's causing this? And, we have to have a very targeted response.”

— Leonard Williams, Mayor of Durham (WRAL News)

What’s next

Durham's city council is set to hear about the findings of the crime report during a meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2026.

The takeaway

While Durham saw a decline in violent and property crimes in 2025, the recent spike in gun violence has prompted the mayor to call for a comprehensive, community-centered approach to address the issue. The city's long-term plan to reduce gun violence will need to involve a range of stakeholders, from law enforcement to nonprofit organizations, to effectively tackle the root causes of the problem.