FACT CHECK: Democratic Mayors Driving Crime Reductions with Proven Public Safety Strategies, No Thanks to Trump

Washington, D.C. – Donald Trump travels to Memphis today to take credit for the reduction in crime – but the facts tell a different story: Democratic mayors have implemented smart, effective strategies to reduce crime even as Trump cut funding for police and other public safety resources. 

 Local leadership continues to step up where federal support has lagged, investing in a holistic approach that invests in law enforcement and strengthens communities. 

Fact: Major Cities Are Seeing Significant Declines in Violent Crime—Driven by Local Leadership, Not Trump

• Homicides dropped by more than 10% across the nation, marking one of the sharpest declines in decades and continuing a downward trend into 2025.
• In some cases, the drop was even higher: crime declined across major U.S. cities in 2025, with homicides down 21% and down 44% from the 2021 peak.

Fact: Crime Has Declined in Memphis Under Mayor Paul Young’s Public Safety Approach

• Under Mayor Paul Young’s leadership, Memphis has prioritized targeted enforcement, interagency coordination, and community-based prevention strategies.
• Memphis recorded reductions in homicides and shootings, reflecting expanded coordination between law enforcement and targeted intervention efforts under Mayor Paul Young – prior to Trump sending in the National Guard.

Fact: Democratic Mayors Are Implementing Effective, Evidence-Based Public Safety Policies

• Across the country, Democratic mayors have advanced comprehensive approaches to public safety—combining strong policing with prevention and community investment. 
• For example: 
  • Under Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, the city’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy directly targeted individuals most at risk of gun violence, delivering services alongside enforcement, and helped drive the city to its lowest homicide levels in years, including just 68 killings in the first half of 2025 and a ~25% year-to-date decline.
  • Under Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the city expanded violence interruption programs using trained intervention workers to mediate conflicts, contributing to a 45% drop in gang-related homicides in neighborhoods using these programs since 2023. 
  • Under Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, the city implemented a multi-pronged strategy combining policing, technology (including gunshot detection), and community partnerships, resulting in declines across all major crime categories.
  • Under Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the city implemented its RISE (Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone) initiative, which included multi‑agency operations such as Operation Northern Harvest resulted in 338 felony arrests, 300 firearms seized, 130 stolen vehicles recovered, and 65 lbs of narcotics seized, showing tangible enforcement outcomes. 
  • Under Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the city implemented a coordinated public safety strategy that combined proactive policing with city-funded violence interruption efforts like Peace Orlando, targeting individuals most at risk and strengthening community partnerships—helping drive a 68% drop in homicides and one of the largest declines in the country in 2025.

Bottom Line: Crime is declining in many American cities not by accident, but because Democratic mayors are implementing smart, data-driven strategies that deliver results.

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