The Department of Justice (DOJ) this week released its final national crime statistics under the Biden administration as the president prepares to leave office.

Following an increase in violent crime during the pandemic in 2021, violent crime rates began to decline significantly in 2023, "including double-digit declines in homicide rates in many major cities," the Justice Department said.

Violent crime continues to decline in 2024, according to preliminary Justice Department data from 85 major cities.

The murder rate fell by 17.5%. In the first three quarters of this year, rape cases fell by 7.1%, aggravated assault cases by 3.6%, and robbery cases by 7.8%.

Violent crime fell by 1.7% from 2021 to 2022, by 3% from 2022 to 2023, and by 10.3% from the second quarter of 2023 to 2024.

Over the same time period, the murder rate fell by 6.1% from 2021 to 2022, by 11.6% in 2023, and finally by 22.7% in 2024.

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"Since launching the Violent Crime Reduction Strategy in 2021, the Department of Justice has made historic progress in combating the most important drivers of violent crime," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.

"This report details the department's many successes in implementing violent crime strategies and demonstrates the tremendous efforts that law enforcement officers across the country make to keep our communities safe," she added.

Shortly after taking office in 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Monaco would implement a comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime.

“Recognizing that every jurisdiction — big or small, rural, urban — faces unique challenges that cannot be solved by one-size-fits-all policies — this strategy is data-driven and deploys federal resources, including cutting-edge tools, The most effective approach is to serve as a force multiplier for state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the fight against violent crime,” the report states.

The report stated that among the 85 cities covered by the statistics, violent crime rates increased in 23 cities and decreased in 62 cities; murder rates increased in 19 cities and decreased in 64 cities.

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The report said that while "there is no single cause" for the decrease or increase in violent crime, "law enforcement efforts across the country — collaborations between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies — undoubtedly play a leading role."

The Justice Department said its strategy is to "focus on the most important drivers of violent crime, including gun violence and recidivism."

It also prioritizes building trust in communities and investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs.

"Since the beginning of this administration, the department has focused on combating the most important drivers of violent crime, with gun violence being a top priority," Monaco said. "Our strategy is data-driven and focused on doing what we do best. Things to do: Work with our state and local law enforcement partners, who are on the front lines of fighting violent crime, and deploy technology and other cutting-edge tools to pursue the individuals most responsible for crime in our communities. "

"Our efforts are paying off. After peaking during the pandemic, violent crime is on a downward trend, including double-digit declines in homicide rates in many major cities," she added.

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This is President Biden’s final week in office. President-elect Trump will be inaugurated on Monday.