The numbers mark a significant drop from 2023, when there were 26 homicides. In 2024, there were 11, a drop of nearly 58%, according to coroner\u2019s office data. The nine last year marks the lowest total in at least 15 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s remarkable,\u201d said Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.<\/p>\n
Publicly available data for Lehigh County, which goes back to 2008, shows 2009 with the most homicide deaths at 33, though 15 of them were out-of-county.\n<\/p>\n
It was a similar story in\u00a0Northampton County, which had just three homicides in 2025, leading to first-degree murder charges against two men.<\/p>\n
Data from the Northampton County coroner\u2019s office, which dates back to 2000, shows single-digit homicide numbers for most years outside of 2017 and 2007, which both had 11, the highest number in that timeframe. The lowest number was just one, which happened in 2000, 2001 and 2002.<\/p>\n
Lehigh DA sees increased cooperation from community
\nHolihan said a number of contributing factors led to fewer homicides and other violent crimes.<\/p>\n
One, he said, is that the community is respecting law enforcement, which has been working to connect with residents over the years. The DA said increased cooperation from the community led to quicker arrests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can clear those cases quickly, that does a lot for the community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
A quick arrest takes an offender off the street, reduces the likelihood of retaliation and sends a message that violent crimes are going to lead to an arrest. The threat of quick imprisonment can be a deterrent, he said.<\/p>\n
Holihan said his office is making other efforts, but the results could take years to see. His office has funded crime-reduction measures on both ends of the spectrum, including providing training and technology for law enforcement, as well as community efforts such as a sober living facility for mothers where children can stay and reentry programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing both, and I think you have to do both,\u201d Holihan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t just ramp up the pressure on the system entirely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Roca pointed out one such long-term effort that\u2019s seeing payoffs: Allentown police established a community outreach unit years ago, and worked to connect with private citizens and community or nonprofit groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe actually are realizing the benefits to that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In many of the 2025 homicides, Holihan said, lots of people were willing to help law enforcement, which led to quick identification of suspects. He pointed to a case November when a delivery driver allegedly fatally hit a man in Allentown, then fled<\/a>. Witnesses came forward to help very quickly, and a suspect was arrested several weeks later.<\/p>\n \u201cA couple of years ago, it wasn\u2019t always the case,\u201d Holihan said.<\/p>\n The DA said in January there was only one arrest warrant outstanding for homicides in both 2024 and 2025. The clearance rate of homicides last year was 94%, much higher than that of the national average, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe technology has made it easy and also the community help has been phenomenal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say that right now, our homicide rates are near historic lows for the century,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The county\u2019s first homicide of 2025 happened in March, when a man allegedly killed his wife in Bethlehem Township<\/a>. A few months later, a man killed his in-laws in Palmer Township; he recently pleaded guilty to the crimes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Baratta, who served as as a judge for 25 years before being elected DA in 2023, said the small number of homicides in recent years is a change from the late 1990s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n He credited that to the professionalism of law enforcement in Easton and Bethlehem, which have, like Allentown, engaged in community policing.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the most part, the gang-related homicides and even assaults and drug involvement has been reduced incredibly because of their hard work,\u201d the Northampton DA said.<\/p>\n Both departments put officers in neighborhoods and retail locations, and developed a relationship with residents. They also have substations so officers can respond to certain areas quicker.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that\u2019s a realization of hard work by the two police departments,\u201d the DA said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t praise them enough.\u201d<\/p>\n He said from his perspective, the professionalism of the county departments, as well as state police, has increased over the last 15 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI only have good things to say about law enforcement in Northampton County right now,\u201d Baratta said.<\/p>\n The drop in homicide numbers locally reflects what has been seen nationally in recent years. The FBI reported in 2024 that murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases dropped nearly 15% from the year prior.<\/a><\/p>\n While the agency\u2019s report on 2025 is not yet available, several organizations reported the trend continued last year.<\/p>\n![\"Lehigh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/tmc-l-abusecharges_2.jpg\")
Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan speaks at a news conference. (April Gamiz\/The Morning Call)
\nNorthampton DA credits good police work
\nNorthampton County DA Stephen Baratta said good police work is making the county as safe as it\u2019s ever been.<\/p>\n![\"Northampton](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TMC-L-AubreyWuUpdate-04-2.jpg\")
Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta holds a news conference Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Northampton County Courthouse in Easton. (April Gamiz\/The Morning Call)
\nNumbers reflect nationwide trend<\/p>\n