Violent crime is plummeting in Oakland, according to preliminary police data.

As of late November, 2025 will be the second consecutive year that Oakland has logged big declines in shootings, robberies, and homicides. In fact, violent and property crimes citywide have fallen by double-digit percentage points so far. (The Oaklandside will explore why crime is falling early next year, once the final crime statistics for 2025 become available.)

The numbers aren’t final, and Oakland isn’t in the clear, as the city still experiences more crime than other mid-sized U.S. cities, according to a report from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute earlier this year.

But as of November, homicides in Oakland are down 21% compared with the same period last year, with 59 homicides logged versus 75 in 2024, according to OPD’s most recent weekly crime report. Over the same roughly 11 months in 2023, the city reported 114 homicides.

Other types of violent crime are also trending down. Robberies are down 42% since last year, rapes have fallen by 22%, and aggravated assaults have dropped by 11%.

Of note, since 2015, OPD has recorded over 2,000 robberies each year. But as 2025 draws to a close, Oakland has logged fewer than 1,600 robberies so far this year.

Overall, the city’s violent crime index — which encompasses homicides, assaults, rapes, and robberies — shows a 25% drop year to date.

A common belief is that drops in crime represent people giving up on reporting incidents. But violent crimes tend to be reported at high and consistent rates, especially shootings and homicides, and experts generally say there’s no evidence that Oakland is seeing more underreporting now than in previous years. So the declines in these categories of crime reveal a significant shift.

Shootings in Oakland are also down

According to OPD’s most recent weekly gunfire report, firearm assaults have decreased by 27% in Oakland year to date compared with the same period in 2024.

ShotSpotter detectors in Oakland have logged steep declines in gunfire. The biggest reduction (34%) was seen in Police Area 4, which includes Fruitvale, Dimond, Laurel, and parts of the East Oakland hills. However, Area 4 has seen an increase in homicides year to date, with seven homicides logged compared with five at the same time last year.

Police Area 6, which spans deep East Oakland from the San Leandro border to about 82nd Avenue, had the second-highest decrease in gunfire, with a 29% reduction in ShotSpotter activations.

Additionally, shootings fell 28% in Police Area 3, which covers San Antonio, Clinton Park, Cleveland Heights, Grand Lake, Adams Point, and Trestle Glen.

Property crime has decreased, but the data is far from final

While property crime statistics will take more time to finalize due to lags in reporting and police investigations, OPD’s preliminary data shows that Oakland may be on track to see significant reductions for nearly every category of offense.

Reports of commercial burglaries this year are down 50%, car thefts have declined by 41%, and property theft is down 16%.

Reports of home burglaries year to date, however, have remained unchanged compared to last year.

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