Crime continued to fall in Connecticut, driven by declines in both violent and property crimes, according to a new report.
The report, released Monday by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), said crimes against people fell by 7.4% and crimes against property dropped by 16.4%.
Those two categories of crimes collectively account for the majority of offenses tracked in the report.
“I really think it’s about us working smarter and working together,” DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins said Tuesday.
The report includes data from local and state police.
The drop in crimes against people includes decreases in simple assaults, aggravated assaults, criminal sexual contact, and rape in 2025 when compared to the prior year.
The report also shows murders and nonnegligent homicides fell by 20%, down to 70, while negligent homicides fell by 27%, down to 18.
The decline in crimes against property, meanwhile, was driven by reductions in many types of larceny and burglary.
Connecticut has been following a nationwide trend in recent years with a drop in crime rates.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Connecticut) said the data shows the hard work of local and state police.
“Hats off to our police — local police, state police,” he said. “We have one of the safest states in the country.”
Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) said lawmakers always try to make Connecticut safer, but also gave a lot of credit to law enforcement.
“I think our commissioner, Commissioner Higgins, is doing a great job,” he said. “And I think our law enforcement, our brave men and women, are being very proactive in deterring crime.”
Still, Higgins said the report also shows areas of concern.
Crimes against society, which include possession of drugs or illegal weapons, were up 5.7%.
The report also shows an increase in so-called Group B crimes, or those where police only make arrests. That includes an increase in drunk driving arrests, but Higgins said that’s because of increased enforcement.
The state saw rises in certain property crimes, as well, including:
Identity theft was up 18.9%;
Wire fraud was up 4.9%; and
Hacking or computer invasion was up 13.9%.
Higgins said state police are prioritizing computer crimes, including a new task force focused on developing new investigative methods.
He said state police often assist municipal departments with limited resources, but the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have the most expertise.
He also said that investigations sometimes focus on helping victims recover their money, as tracking cybercriminals can be difficult.
Higgins said state police have helped recover roughly $7 million in recent years.
“Are they making arrests on it? Maybe not,” he said. “In fact, likely not, but it’s important that those people whose hard-earned monies got away from them by fraudulent means gets backs to them.”