Harrisburg police car
An annual report released Tuesday by the Harrisburg police showed the number of homicides in the city dropped last year.
Harrisburg experienced 14 homicides in 2025, down from 22 the year prior, the report indicated. The victims consisted of 10 Black men, two white men and two Black women.
Incidents of rape, assault, and drug offenses ticked up.
The city had 27 rape incidents compared to 2024, which saw 24. There were a total of 739 assaults, compared to 696 in 2024. Drug offenses for 2025 numbered 1,381 compared to last year’s 1,148.
Drunk driving incidents almost doubled. Officers counted 200 offenses in 2025, up from 2024’s 112 incidents.
There was a significant decrease in the number of reported car thefts—down to 165 in 2025, compared to 245 the year prior. Notably, in 2023, this number had been much higher at 340 incidents.
Trespassing offenses were also slightly down last year with only 79 incidents reported (down from 91 in 2024).
No use of force incidents or hate crimes were reported last year.
The Harrisburg Police noted in the report that, throughout the year, the bureau increased community involvement and engagement as part of violence prevention programming by participating in public panels and hosting assemblies in schools and prisons to educate the public on alternatives to group and gun violence.
The department also said it introduced a recruitment vehicle last year to help attract new applicants to become police officers and is struggling with ongoing staffing shortages and declining retention rates.
“Law enforcement continues to experience nationwide staffing shortages, and the Bureau faces the additional challenges of offering competitive salaries compared to other townships and local Class III cities,” the bureau said in the report.
Roughly a quarter of its sworn personnel positions were vacant last year. This included 28 patrol officer positions, four supervisor and four detective positions and one forensic investigator position.
“With several upcoming retirements projected in 2026, this percentage may continue to increase despite on-going recruitment and officer retention efforts,” the report acknowledged.
However, it added, by maintaining a visible presence within the community, the bureau hopes to attract additional qualified, motivated individuals.
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