How Did L.A. Police Solve So Many Killings in 2025?

High clearance rates matter. People are less likely to commit crimes if they believe they’ll get caught, says Jillian Snider, a retired New York City police officer and current R Street Institute resident senior fellow. Also, the public trusts the police more when they see a higher number of cases get solved.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that when members of the public know that their police agency is solving a high rate of homicides in their area, they’re actually more willing to communicate with law enforcement, be active witnesses or participants in investigations … and have just an overall higher level of feelings of legitimacy and trust with their local police,” Snider says.