ST. LOUIS–Data from the FBI’s 2022 crime report shows violent crime in St. Louis has reached its lowest point in 10 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Violent crime in St. Louis reached its lowest point in 10 years

  • St. Louis city also experienced a 13% drop in violent crime between 2021 and 2022, the second year of decline in a row

  • The U.S. saw a 1.7% decline in violent crime last year, dropping to about the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data

  • Motor vehicle thefts are up nearly 11% nationwide. Police departments for St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Kansas City saw much bigger increases in car thefts

St. Louis city also experienced a 13% drop in violent crime between 2021 and 2022, the second year of decline in a row. Murders stayed about the same, with 200 reported in 2022.

The declines are nationwide. The U.S. saw a 1.7% decline in violent crime last year, dropping to about the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data. 

Richard Rosenfeld, criminal justice professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said the drop in violence can be attributed largely to the fact that the “stresses and strains” associated with the pandemic have abated.

“By and large what we’re seeing is simply a return to something approaching normal after the big changes associated with the pandemic,” Rosenfeld said.

Despite the decline in violent crimes, property crimes jumped across the country with motor vehicle thefts up nearly 11% nationwide. Police departments for St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Kansas City saw much bigger increases in car thefts. However, St. Charles County did see a sizable decline in property crimes and motor vehicle thefts during the same time period.

The uptick started in late 2021 when videos on TikTok and other sites that illustrate how to start and steal Kia and Hyundai models started gaining traction.

Spectrum News reached out to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department for a comment and is waiting for a response.

Here is the breakdown for some Missouri departments: