East Palo Alto Hits Two-Year Homicide Free

East Palo Alto has gone two full years without a reported homicide, a milestone city officials marked in April after the last documented killing in April 2024. (nbcbayarea.com) Mayor Webster Lincoln said the city reached the mark this month, and police said the last homicide on record was in April 2024. Chief Jeff Liu’s department also reported zero homicides for all of 2025, after another zero-homicide year in 2023. (nbcbayarea.com) (cbsnews.com) The number stands out because East Palo Alto once had the highest murder rate per capita in the United States. In 1992, the city recorded 42 homicides in a population of about 24,000, according to San Mateo County figures cited by local news outlets. (nbcbayarea.com) (cbsnews.com) That 1992 spike came during years when gang violence and the crack cocaine epidemic drove killings across the city. CBS News Bay Area also reported that East Palo Alto was dealing with revenue problems and police corruption and misconduct during that period. (nbcbayarea.com) (cbsnews.com) City leaders now credit a different mix of forces: youth programs, workforce development, neighborhood engagement and prevention strategies built with community groups. Lincoln said the result reflects “trust, collaboration and prevention,” while the police department says community partnership is central to its public-safety approach. (nbcbayarea.com) (cityofepa.org) Police described 2025 as the second zero-homicide year in three years, which suggests the current stretch is not a one-month anomaly. The city has also tied the decline to modernized policing techniques and closer coordination between residents, city departments and community organizations. (cbsnews.com) (nbcbayarea.com) The shift also tracks a wider Bay Area drop in killings in 2025. SFGATE reported that San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose all posted lower homicide totals last year, part of a broader regional decline in violent crime. (sfgate.com) East Palo Alto’s turnaround has unfolded alongside major physical changes in the city as well. CBS reported that the area near University Avenue and Highway 101 once known as “Whiskey Gulch” has been redeveloped with a Four Seasons hotel and a large shopping center. (cbsnews.com) Lincoln said the city is treating the anniversary as evidence of “the presence of peace” and plans to keep funding prevention and community engagement. For a city once defined nationally by its murder rate, the benchmark in April 2026 is now zero. (nbcbayarea.com)