Durham — Durham’s violent crime went down in 2025 compared to the year before, according to the city’s fourth quarter crime report.

Here is a look at the city’s violent crime from January-December in the past three years:

Other WRAL Top Stories

  • The number of homicides remained flat from 2024 to 2025 (39 total each year)
    • Durham had 10.2% fewer rapes in 2025 (150) than the year before (150)
      • Durham had 9.2% fewer robberies in 2025 (433) than the year before (477)
        • Durham had 21.5% fewer aggravated assaults in 2025 (907) than the year before (1,156)

          During Thursday's Durham City Council work session, Police Chief Patrice Andrews noted while homicides remained flat, the city saw fewer homicides involving guns. She said there were 34 homicides with guns in 2024 compared to 28 homicides with guns in 2025.

          “The trends are moving downward,” Andrews said before city council members. “Obviously, it's not as far as down as we would like to see, but I do believe we are going to get there.”

          Andrews noted it would be the last time she presents the city's quarterly crime data. She is retiring from her police chief position on May 1.

          Durham’s shooting incidents were also down in 2025 compared to the year before, the report finds. There were fewer shootings, fewer people shot, and fewer people who died from being shot.

          Andrews mentioned how most guns used in Durham's shooting incidents are stolen.

          “It is very important not to leave firearms in cars ... and leaving them unsecured,” Andrews said.

          Durham’s property crime was also down from 2025 to 2024. There were fewer burglaries, larcenies and thefts of motor vehicles.

          From 2024-2025, city data shows Durham’s clearance rates have increased for homicides, robberies, burglaries, larcenies and thefts of motor vehicles. The data shows Durham’s clearance rates have lowered for rapes and aggravated assaults.

          WRAL News asked Andrews about the city's 89.7% clearance rate for homicides in 2025, which is an increase compared to the city's 69.2% clearance rate in 2024.

          “We can't prevent these crimes from happening, and I think if we had a crystal ball and we knew where it was going to happen, we would be there,” Andrews said. “But just know that when it happens, when tragedy happens, our investigators are committed to working as much and as hard as they can until someone is identified and brought to justice for that crime.”

          Durham leaders are set to hear about the findings of the crime report during Thursday’s city council meeting, which begins at 1 p.m.

          Recent gun violence in Durham

          The good news from 2025 comes as the city of Durham has seen a string of violent crimes to start 2026, including someone shooting into a sedan on Tuesday and a fatal shooting of a teen on Monday. Durham has had 22 people shot in 2026. Seven of them died.

          Durham Mayor Leonard Williams is asking the community to help reduce gun violence. He is planning to hold a news conference at noon Friday.

          "I've lost my patience of hearing from folks say I'm not doing enough,” Williams said in an interview with WRAL News. “Show me someone else trying to raise $1 million trying to invest in our kids.”

          Andrews also acknowledged Durham's recent crime.

          “We hear you and we see you, and we want to do everything we can to help,” Andrews said. “We need to make sure that whatever the crime, wherever it happens, we are treating those people with dignity and respect and we are prosecuting or at least investigating those crimes to the fullest extent that we can.”

          Williams said while Durham's overall crime is down in 2025 compared to 2024, he called the youth crime, “out of control.”

          Andrews also spoke about the city’s youth crime.

          “I would say to our kids in general, you should be enjoying being children, but I know that there are times where the environment maybe where you live or people around you do not want you to enjoy being a child,” Andrews said.

          Related: 'I am tired of kids dying': Durham mayor speaks out against gun violence

          Williams spoke about the city’s long-term plan to reduce gun violence.

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

          “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.”

          Andrews also urged the community “to be part of the solution.”

          WRAL News asked Williams if he believed programs like the gunfire detection system ShotSpotter, or the discontinued anti-violence program Bull City United should return. In February, the city council also opted not to move forward with the proposed Real Time Crime Center.

          “I do think they should come back, but we're going to have to let the data tell us that,” Williams said. “What resources we have are going to be data led.”