Trump’s cuts to intervention programs could increase violent crime, experts say

Community programs are more effective at reducing violence than simply making arrests, advocates say

Homicides in the US have fallen dramatically in recent years after a spike during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now some advocates for community violence intervention programs worry federal funding cuts by the Trump administration will reverse that trend.

In April 2025, more than $800m in grants was cut from the Department of Justice’s office of justice programs aimed at preventing and responding to gun violence, among other causes.