FBI UCR Homicide Data — 20 recorded incidents
Rockford has one of the highest homicide rates in Illinois outside Chicago, driven by the city's combination of industrial job loss, the opioid crisis, and a methamphetamine trade that has flooded the city's CRISP neighborhoods. The 2023 murder of a 14-year-old boy by an 18-year-old at a Rockford apartment complex put the city in the national spotlight for youth firearm violence. Illinois's permit-to-purchase law has been credited with reducing firearm homicides in some parts of the state, though Rockford's homicide unit has remained understaffed. FBI UCR data powers The Murder Channel's Rockford homicide tracker.
Rockford, Alabama has recorded 20 homicides over the tracked period, with 22 victims identified.. The city ranks #238 among 339 U.S. cities tracked by the FBI, with a clearance rate of 10% — meaning an arrest or suspect identification was made in 2 of those incidents.
Firearms — predominantly firearm - handguns — account for 55% of homicides with weapon data, followed by firearm - type unknown, knife/cutting instrument, other weapon.
Rockford's homicide rate is 74% below the average for tracked U.S. cities, based on FBI UCR data. 11 cases remain under investigation. The primary reporting agency was Rockford Police Department, which filed 20 incident reports. See also our Alabama state homicide data page for broader context. The Rockford metropolitan area continues to be monitored as part of the national homicide tracking effort.