2020 Preliminary numbers show major crimes dropped in Huntsville Crime is down within the city of Huntsville By Kate Smith | January 29, 2021 at 6:00 PM CST - Updated January 29 at 6:40 PM HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Major crime is down in the city of Huntsville and it may not be for the reason you would expect. Preliminary reports indicate homicides dropped 26%, burglaries 19%, automotive break-ins 11%, and robberies 31%. Top cops with the Huntsville City Police Department are looking back on 2020, reviewing their end of year crime statistics. “What is going on, why exactly has all of those numbers dropped?” questioned Captain Dewayne McCarver. Investigators first believed the decrease was due to the pandemic with more people spending time at home.