Crimes against people, property and society all fell in Connecticut in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the state’s latest crime report
Declines spanned assaults, vandalism, burglary, motor vehicle thefts, fraud and weapons violations
Murders, kidnappings, trespassing and driving under the influence offenses rose over the same period
Crimes against people, property and society all fell in Connecticut in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the latest report from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP).
The decline continued a trend reported earlier this year and in 2025 as a whole.
In the first half of the year, crimes against people and property both fell by 11.4%, while crimes against society fell 8.6%, according to the latest Crime in Connecticut report. Arrest-only offenses also fell by 3.2%.
Among crimes against people, the state reported a 10.8% decline in simple assaults, while intimidation cases fell 11.9% and aggravated assaults fell 16.1%. Criminal sexual contact and rape declined by 8.9% and 2.9%, respectively.
However, there was an increase of six murders in 2026 compared to 2025, from 32 to 38, while kidnappings increased by 15, from 93 to 108.
Crimes against property falling 11.4% was largely fueled by a near-20% decline in destruction, damage and vandalism cases, while robberies, extortion, burglary and counterfeiting all fell by more than 16% year-over-year. Motor vehicle thefts, which were a serious issue in past years, continued falling, down 11.2% in the report. Fraud offenses fell about 8%, largely due to a 16.2% decline in identity theft, a 9.9% reduction in impersonation cases and declines of 8.6% in credit card/ATM fraud and 8.7% in wire fraud.
Among crimes against society, drug and narcotics violations declined 4.5%, weapon law violations fell just under 20% and cases involving pornography or obscene material fell by more than 30%. Animal cruelty offenses also fell year over year.
All other offenses fell 3.2%, though concerning increases were seen in trespassing (up 16.9%) and driving under the influence (up 9.7%). Disorderly conduct fell 6.1%, while “all other offenses,” a category considering a number of different crimes, fell 7.3% year-to-year.
By Joe O’Leary
