Situation
In 2025, East Palo Alto, California recorded zero homicides, marking the second time in the past three years the community has reached this milestone. Once labeled the nation’s “murder capital” in the early 1990s, the city’s continued improvement reflects long-term investment in community collaboration and effective public safety strategies.
Local law enforcement announced the zero-homicide year on social media and through official channels, noting that this achievement “belongs to our residents, families, community organizations, and first responders who are committed to keeping East Palo Alto a place where life is valued and protected.” It joins 2023 as the only other year in recent memory with no homicides, while 2024 saw just two.
Results
0 Homicides Reported in 2025
East Palo Alto Police Chief Jeff Liu is the first to admit that the decline in homicides in the city is due to a combination of factors. “There’s no magic pill,” he said.
“In 2022 we had five homicides and our patrol staff worked with our community and wes olved every single one of them, and we publicized that, which sent out a strong message to potential offenders. Additionally, the police department and personnel work hard to be visible in the community, letting people know that we’re here to help, in a caring, respectful way.”
Chief Liu also highlighted East Palo Alto PD’s relationship with the Office of the DistrictAttorney, as well as ShotSpotter’s Detailed Forensic Report (DFR), a court-admissible analysis of a shooting incident captured by the ShotSpotter system, as instrumental contributors to the reduction in homicides. “District attorneys prosecute based on the evidence they’re provided with,” Liu said. “Our cops have to gather [evidence] through witness statements, but also, incases of gunfire, through ShotSpotter data. ShotSpotter data has come to court many times, and our DA’s office and our prosecutors love that evidence. The jury can hear the gunfire, and that makes it real for them.”
“For a small, understaffed department, I really want to continue to look at what technology can do for us,” Chief Liu said, before adding, “I love how SoundThinking is not satisfied with just being a gunshot location system and is constantly leveraging new technology and trying to become more of a comprehensive law enforcement solution.”
