safety
FBI: U.S. experiences historic drop in violent crime, lowest murder rate in 70 years
Summary by The Midland Editorial Desk Sophia Ridley , as published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS)
· August 16, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) · view original
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Summary created by The Midland Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Sophia Ridley, as published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 16, 2026 Indexed here Aug 17, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key points Further information on this trend can be found through the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which analyzed a large number of criminal offenses reported by law enforcement agencies. The murder rate has reached a historic low, with a rate of 4.
A significant decrease in crime rates has been reported nationwide. The murder rate has reached a historic low, with a rate of 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. This ties with previous years for the lowest recorded rate.
The decline in violent crime is the largest in nearly a century. Figures show a substantial drop from one year to the next.
Further information on this trend can be found through the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which analyzed a large number of criminal offenses reported by law enforcement agencies.
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As published by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) . The Midland surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: safety Published: August 16, 2026 Source: KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) Reading time: 1 min
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What is this story about? A significant decrease in crime rates has been reported nationwide. The murder rate has reached a historic low, with a rate of 4.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. This ties with previous years for the…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 16, 2026 by KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS) and curated for The Midland readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Sophia Ridley at KOSA CBS7 / First Alert 7 (Permian Basin CBS). To learn more about how The Midland selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more safety coverage from The Midland, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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