There’s been a lot of discussion over the past few years among those who are concerned that Jamestown isn’t as safe as it once was.

We have a feeling no city is as safe as it was back in the 1950s. But another year of data indicates 2022-23 may have been a crime spike rather than a new normal when it comes to crime in Jamestown. Overall crime decreased 2.35% in 2025. Incidents that required a police response have decreased from a six-year high of 41,412 in 2023 to 36,016 in 2025. It’s still more than it was in 2020 (32,173) but trending in the right direction.

Burglaries have steadily declined over the past six years, as have motor vehicle thefts, robberies, aggravated assault. After a one-year spike in 2024, murders have returned to their previous levels. Rape increased in 2023 but has dropped to less than the six-year average in 2025.

Perhaps most importantly, gunshot complaint calls for service decreased by 7.84 percent compared to 2024, and decreased by 20.34 percent compared to the five-year average of 118 calls. In 2024 there were 102 calls while in 2025 there were 94. Seizures of firearms by JPD, in 2025 decreased by 15.25 percent compared to 2024, and decreased by 19.61 percent compared to the five-year average of 62.2 firearms seized.Weapons law offenses decrease by 31.50 percent as compared to 2024 and 5.84 percent as compared to the five-year average of 92.4 offenses.

That doesn’t mean all the numbers are down. Larcenies hit a six-year high in 2026 at 706. Aggravated assault has decreased to a six-year low, though it’s concerning that aggravated assault involving a handgun has nearly tripled from 2023 from eight cases to 22 in 2025, while strong arm aggravated assault has increased from 31 in 2022 to 52 in 2025.

The fact the crime rate remains stubbornly high is a function of Jamestown’s falling population. There were 1,109 Part 1 crimes in 2020 with a population of 29,058, so the crime rate was 38.17. Fewer Part 1 crimes were committed in 2025 (1,059), but the crime rate was still a tick higher at 38.59 than it was six years ago because the city’s population is estimated to have dropped by roughly 1,600 residents over the past six years. We’re losing people, but not poverty. The population is shrinking, but the city’s issues with illegal drugs are not. Jamestown has fewer people, but too many who have no compunction about breaking the law.

By and large, Jamestown is a safer city at the end of 2025 than it was at the end of 2022. Crime was far too high in 2022-23 to be a new normal in Jamestown. Seeing the numbers return to prior levels is a good sign for city residents. But crime will always be a talking point until there is improvement in the issues that lead to crime – high poverty, the illegal drug trade and a criminal justice system that too often makes police officers handle too many familiar faces. We’re still struggling on all three fronts.