COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 200 major U.S. cities have seen a decline in homicides in the first quarter of 2024, including Columbus, Cleveland and Akron. 

What You Need To Know

  • Columbus homicides are down 58% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2023

  • Cleveland and Akron also saw a decline 

  • Cincinnati and Toledo have seen a slight increase in homicides in the first quarter of 2024 

Columbus has seen the biggest homicide drop in the state with a 58% decline. The city of Columbus has partnered with police, public health and various grassroots organizations to find solutions.

One key player has been Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children. Everyone in the organization has experienced the loss and tragedy brought by gun violence. Their current initiative “Operation Under Triple Digits” is designed to keep Columbus’s homicide number under 100, so more families don’t have to experience their same loss. 

“Just keep it down to a minimum, just so these families don’t suffer,” said Brenda Johnson, who is one of the west side advocates for Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children. “I mean, my grandkids, I watch them suffer daily. I mean, obviously I suffer daily, but I just keep moving. This lets me know my son’s murder was not in vain. His name is known for good, not bad.”

According to the criminal justice consulting firm, AH Datalytics, Columbus isn’t the only Ohio city that has seen change go in the right direction. In the first quarter of 2023, Cleveland saw 38 homicides and now that is down to 23. Akron has seen a 50% decrease going from four homicides to two. Columbus saw a drop from 52 to 23 homicides. Johnson attributes the decline to increased collaboration between city and community entities and working with the youth. 

“They speak on it and they teach their friends and, you know, to stay away from guns,” said Johnson. “Fighting is not the way. We go to schools. We go to prisons, but the youth have really come a long way,” said Johnson.

On the other hand, Cincinnati and Toledo have seen an increase in murder rates, although it’s not drastic. Cincinnati jumped from 18 homicides in the first quarter of 2023 to 20 in 2024 and Toledo went from 11 to 13. 

Data from the FBI shows crime has steadily been on the decline since 2022. While the statistics are moving in the right direction, they only apply to the first quarter of the year.