In new survey, cities call for increased federal funding, advanced technology and other critical resources to bring crime down further
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a new survey of 60 major cities representing 28 states, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) reports that mayors have put in place effective strategies that have helped to reduce violent crime and are working hand-in-hand with key federal law enforcement agencies to improve public safety, but they need increased and continuing federal support to bolster their efforts.
The survey shows that while violent crime is down so far this year in 86% of the cities, there’s more work to do. Crimes involving juveniles, shootings, homicides and robberies were identified as the biggest crime problems the survey cities face – in that order.
The survey makes clear that the success cities have had in reducing violent crime is primarily due to local funding and local strategies. It shows that just 3% of police department budgets in the surveyed cities comes from federal sources, and 29% of them have had federal grants terminated or cut this year. In addition, mentoring programs, followed by violence intervention programs, sports programs and youth programs, led the list of most effective programs in the surveyed cities to reduce juvenile crime. However, 70% of the cities said they do not have adequate funding to sustain these programs.
Information on the specific actions the cities are currently taking to respond to crime problems shows they have employed a wide range of prevention, community-based, and enforcement strategies, often involving new technologies, to prevent and reduce crime.
Nearly all surveyed cities reported having successful partnerships with key federal crime-fighting agencies, namely the Federal Bureau of Investigation (100% of responding cities), Drug Enforcement Administration (92%) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (90%). They said these partnerships have made it possible for them to identify suspects (92%), apprehend suspects (90%) and collect evidence (78%).
“The results of this survey further demonstrate that crime is coming down significantly in cities across America,” said U.S. Conference of Mayors President David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City. “Having said that, the work is never done, and the federal government can be a partner in further reduction. In fact, we have a lot of great examples through the years of how that local and federal partnership can work. Coordinated and collaborative support for increased law enforcement presence on our streets can certainly be part of any effort, but a major reason for our recent success has been local commitment to programming that does the work of intervention and prevention. The federal government can be a partner in supporting those intervention and prevention programs, especially programs that work with young people.”
Going forward, the cities were clear that they want more support from Washington in the form of assistance and collaboration — without infringing on local control. Nearly all called for increased funding to purchase police department equipment (97% of responding cities) and expand crime prevention efforts (95%), many called for support for mental health services (88%) and hiring police officers (72%). In addition, most want more help from the DEA to combat drug trafficking (78%); from the FBI to aid in specific cases (76%); and from the ATF to conduct gun tracing (74%).
“Building trust between communities and police departments is essential to public safety’s long-term success. When communities trust the police, they are more likely to report crimes, cooperate with investigations and participate in public safety initiatives,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who previously served 40 years in his city’s police department, including the final 18 as its longest-serving Police Chief, and is the Co-chair of USCM’s Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force. “We must continue to reduce crime in a manner that builds trust, including strategic engagement between the federal and local government.”
“Cities are proud of the progress they have made in reducing crime. This year Providence saw the lowest levels of violent crime since 1990, but no amount of crime is acceptable,” said Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, who serves as Co-chair of USCM’s Mayors and Police Chiefs Task Force. “We welcome federal assistance, but it must be a partnership that recognizes the expertise of mayors and their police departments. From violence intervention to the COPS program, local leaders understand the proven strategies that have effectively reduced crime in our cities, and we are calling upon the federal government to invest in those initiatives to help keep our cities safe.”
The survey was conducted from September 4, 2025 to September 15, 2025, by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In total, 60 cities from 28 states responded. The full results of the survey can be found here.