FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto, Mayor Jerry Dyer, City Manager Georgeanne White, and Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp held a news conference on Tuesday to discuss crime statistics from 2025 as well as the Fresno Police Department’s areas of focus for 2026.

Casto says the city had a significant decrease in the murder rate, reaching a 51-year low.

She said murders in Fresno fell to 22 in 2025, a 70% reduction from the 74 murders recorded in both 2020 and 2021. This marks a 27% decrease from last year’s figures.

“I often talk about the priorities for this agency as I meet with community members or talk to you during interviews. And those priorities are preservation of life, building and maintaining trust with our community, and crime reduction, of course, and dealing with quality of life issues,” said Casto. “I’m proud to say that we’ve made tremendous, tremendous progress on all of those priorities this year.”

A notable achievement was the reduction in gang-related murders, which dropped from 22 last year to nine this year.

The department also reported a 105% clearance rate for murder cases, surpassing the national average of around 60%.

In addition to the drop in murders, Fresno saw a 78% reduction in shootings since 2020, with 162 incidents reported this year.

The department’s efforts in solving non-fatal gunshot wound cases resulted in a 79% arrest rate, significantly higher than the national average of 20-30%.

The recovery of illegally possessed firearms played a crucial role in these reductions, with 1,459 guns seized this year. Chief Casto emphasized the risks officers face in these operations, noting that three officers were shot in the past three years, with one injured but now fully recovered.

Property crime is also down, with a 34% reduction in auto thefts, equating to 1,250 fewer cars stolen. She credits this to the establishment of a second career criminal theft team and collaboration with juvenile probation.

Traffic fatalities also decreased by 17% from last year, with the majority involving pedestrians illegally in the roadway.

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Fresno’s organized retail theft investigations led to the recovery of over $1.2 million in stolen merchandise and 659 arrests.

With 92% of sworn positions filled, the department continues to seek new recruits to join its mission of making Fresno a safer place.