Travis Stefonowicz, Fargo Police Chief
FARGO (KFGO) – Addressing city crime trends Tuesday, Fargo Police Chief Travis Stefonowicz emphasized that community collaboration, not just police work, is driving a significant drop in local crime this year.
“To me, that looks a lot like the engagement that we’ve seen, the partnerships, the collaboration,” Stefonowicz said regarding a 12.63% drop in major offenses through the first eight months of 2026. “More than anything, it’s the collaboration, and that’s the driving factor.”
Following initial crime statistics released on social media last week, Stefonowicz and Mayor Josh Boschee met with reporters to detail what the numbers mean for the city and where public safety efforts are heading next.
The data shows Fargo recorded 963 fewer reported Group A offenses—a broad FBI category covering major violent, property, and drug crimes—from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31 compared to the same period in 2025.
Property crime saw the steepest decline at 20.26%, driven largely by a 33.52% drop in shoplifting. Officials attribute the improvement to heightened police visibility, business partnerships, and security tech upgrades inside local retail stores.
Overdose incidents also dropped nearly 50% year-over-year. However, Stefonowicz cautioned that one in four overdoses in Fargo remains fatal, keeping substance abuse outreach a top priority for officers and Public Health’s Mobile Outreach Unit.
Conversely, crimes against persons stayed virtually flat, rising just 0.67%. Simple assaults accounted for the slight uptick, with domestic violence making up more than half of all reported assault cases.
Boschee stressed that lowering those numbers requires early community intervention before law enforcement gets involved.
“When we see that data point, what is it that we can do as a community to support the organizations that are supporting people?” Boschee said, encouraging residents to help neighbors and loved ones connect with local counseling services early.
To sustain safety trends and prevent officer burnout in the growing city, Stefonowicz is asking for eight additional officers in the preliminary city budget, a request Boschee says the City Commission broadly supports.
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