Allegheny County homicides on pace for 20-year annual low
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Homicides in Allegheny County have declined 44% for the first eight months this year compared to the same time period last year, police data shows.
Why it matters: The county is on pace to have one of the lowest annual homicide totals in recent memory, highlighted by a dramatic drop-off from pandemic-era highs.
By the numbers: Allegheny County has experienced 41 homicides this year through August, according to county medical examiner data.
- That's the lowest for a year's first eight months since 2007, the earliest year that monthly homicide totals have been recorded.
- There were 53 homicides between January 2011 and August 2011, the previous low, and that year went on to total 79 homicides, also the lowest annual total in the last two decades.
Between the lines: Gun-related homicides in Allegheny County are down 38% since this time last year, according to Department of Human Services data shared with Axios.
- Department director Erin Dalton points to declining homicide rates since 2023, which corresponds to the time period after the county invested tens of millions in anti-violence programs.
- For example, trusted community members designated as "violence interrupters" have responded to shooting scenes along with police. These members work to reduce retaliation and connect impacted people to resources, said the department.
State of play: Homicides were down an average of 19% across 68 big-city jurisdictions through the first six months of this year compared to last, per stats compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
- In the same time period, Allegheny County homicides dropped 45%.
- City of Pittsburgh homicides fell 37% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2024.
What they're saying: County police spokesperson Jim Madalinsky said it is difficult to point to one root cause for the decrease, but noted the department's Violent Crimes and Firearms team's work identifying and removing illegal guns from the streets as one factor.
- "We believe this work plays a vital role in preventing violence and overall crime in our community," he said.
The other side: The Allegheny County District Attorney's office told PublicSource last month more criminals have been apprehended over the years, thus increasing the Allegheny County Jail population.
- The jail had about 1,500 people at the start of 2023, and there were about 2,100 as of Monday, according to county data.