Violent crime rapidly declined in the first half of the year, according to a new report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Violent crime - including homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault - decreased 6% in the first six months of the year, compared to the same time the prior year, according to the group of police executives. Homicides dropped by 17% overall during the same time period, the group's report says.

The preliminary data tracks violent crime in 69 major U.S. cities. The report does not include violent crime data from New York City, the largest U.S. city. The New York Police Department previously shared data that indicates that violent crime declined in the first quarter of the year compared to the same time period in 2023.

Here's how violent crime is changing in some of the nation's largest cities:

Violent crime drops significantly

In 2020, violent crimes spiked, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread racial justice protests. Experts have seen that spike wane for months, and multiple reports have found that most violent crimes have returned to 2019 levels.

An analysis from Axios found that violent crime plummeted in Columbus, Ohio, dropping 41%, the most of any city. Violent crime dropped more than 25% in Omaha, Nebraska, Miami, Florida, Washington, D.C. ,and Austin, Texas.

Complete FBI crime data for 2023 won’t be released until the fall, but quarterly reports show violent crime is continuing to drop. FBI crime data has its limitations. Not all police departments are represented in the FBI crime data explorer - about 79% of agencies reported statistics in the fourth quarter of 2023 – and the agency uses methods to adjust for missing data and publish estimates.

Jeff Asher is a New Orleans-based crime data analyst who worked for the CIA and Department of Defense. He previously told USA TODAY that the decrease in murders is "potentially historically large." Asher added that preliminary 2023 FBI data “paint the picture" of a big decrease in overall crime, he wrote.

Where did homicides decrease?

The Major Cities Chiefs Association reported that homicide decreased in 54 of the 69 major cities tracked in the first six months of the year.

The most recent violent crime report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association shows that murders declined by 17% during the first half of 2023 and 2024. Boston experienced the largest decline in homicides at a rate of 78% during that same time period.

Philadelphia experienced the second largest decline in homicide rates at 42% between the first half of 2023 and the same time period in 2024.

Report:Violent crime rates in American cities largely fall back to pre-pandemic levels

FBI crime data:FBI data shows America is seeing a 'considerable' drop in crime. Trump says the opposite.

Contributing: Zac Anderson and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY