New Haven’s mayor and police chief say there’s more work to be done, but the city made strides in lowering the crime rate in 2025.
In a report released Wednesday, the city says overall crime dropped 23% from 2024, as violent crime dropped 39% over the same span. Gun violence was at its lowest level in a decade, down 45% year-over-year.
Acting Police Chief David Zannelli partially credits residents, saying, “We feel that the community is talking to us more and providing vital information when needed.”
He cites other factors:
“We have expanded our technological capabilities by adding more cameras, license plate readers, ShotSpotter expansion, drones, StarChase (GPS vehicle tracking devices), and the mayor has been great by supporting all of these programs for us.”
Mayor Justin Elicker says it’s notable that shootings declined, even though the city is capable of detecting more of them with ShotSpotter.
Homicides increased slightly, from 15 in 2024 to 16 last year, and Elicker says there’s more work to be done:
“We have not said we have completely addressed violence, but we are making significant progress.”
Zannelli led his first crime statistics press conference since his sudden ascension to the department’s top job when former chief Karl Jacobson stepped down on January 5. State police are investigating Jacobson, accused of stealing money from a city account.