The crime rate in Buffalo is down by 11% overall this year when compared with 2024 according to Buffalo Acting Mayor Christopher Scanlon.
Citing data from the Buffalo Police Department, Scanlon said Tuesday there has been a particular decrease in the number of homicides with 27 homicides this year, which is a 29% decrease compared to 2024.
"This historic progress puts the city of Buffalo on pace for its lowest homicide total since modern record keeping began," Scanlon said.
He added the city experienced 73 consecutive days without a reported homicide between July 18 through Sept. 29, 2025.
"[That's] believed to be the longest stretch since recording of these statistics," Scanlon explained.
By the city's calculations there has been a reduction in other crimes this year when compared to last: rape is down by 4%, robbery by 10%, aggravated assault by 3%, burglary by 6%, larceny by 9% and motor vehicle theft by 26%.
The outgoing acting mayor put the reductions down to the BPD's leadership team: Police Commissioner Alphonso Wright and Deputy Commissioners Patrick Overdorf and Joseph Fahey.
Wright attributed this year's crime statistics to initiatives such as the BPD's foot patrol unit, launched in June under Scanlon's leadership.
"Every day that we're working, we're trying to figure out how can we make safety more better for the citizens of the city of Buffalo," Wright said of his command staff.
That staff looks set to change come Jan. 1 as Wright said he plans to retire at the end of the year before Buffalo Mayor-elect Sean Ryan's administration takes office. Wright served 37 years in the BPD.
