Some major cities have spent recent years increasing support for their police and saw a drop in homicides, something one law enforcement group says indicates an "absolute rejection" of efforts to defund them.

Cities such as Philadelphia, Denver, Minneapolis and New York City have increased their police budgets and have seen lower homicide rates in the first quarter of 2025, compared with 2024.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association, which compiled data from Jan. 1–March 31 in 2025 and 2024, showed that several cities with increased funding for police also experienced a drop in homicides.

Philadelphia saw a 28% decrease in homicides year to date, while Minneapolis saw a 54% decrease, and Denver experienced a decrease of almost 59%.

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According to the New York City Police Department, there has been a 28% decrease in murders year to date.

All of these cities have something in common: Local lawmakers voted to increase police budgets in 2024, despite pressure from activists who wanted to defund the police.

City officials in Minneapolis voted to increase their police budget by 6% in 2024, according to MPR News. New York City also increased funding to its police department in 2024.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who took over the department in November 2024, said in a January op-ed for the New York Post that her focus on recidivism is helping make the city safer.

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"Make no mistake: These crime reductions were achieved thanks to the hard work and grit of New York’s Finest – but we know that many New Yorkers don’t feel safe," Tisch said. "Their perception of public safety has become their reality, and we know why: surging recidivism. . . . The deck has been completely stacked against our cops by a shocking lack of accountability for crime."

National Police Association spokesperson Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith told Fox News Digital that the drop in murders shows that Americans are rejecting the "defund the police" movement.

"I really do believe that what we are seeing in 2025 is an absolute rejection of the ‘defund the police movement,’ the ‘re-imagining police movement.’ The law enforcement profession always has room for reform. There is always room for change, but this whole cloth 'let's eliminate the police by defunding them' didn't work. People died because of it, and now the American public is wholeheartedly rejecting it," Smith said.  "And the American law enforcement officer sees that."

Smith said it shouldn't be a shock that "more police work equals less crime."

"Obviously, this is something that we have been talking about for the last five years. And we have, you know, we have been trying to explain to the American public that you do need law enforcement, and when you need law enforcement, law enforcement needs resources. And finally, I think the public, the politicians, the media are catching up with that idea," she said.

Audio from the scene in Kootenai County, Idaho, where firefighters responding to a blaze were ambushed reveals the moment a call for help was made.

Two firefighters were killed and another was wounded in a sniper ambush Sunday afternoon. Authorities later located the body of a deceased man with a firearm nearby and lifted the shelter-in-place order that had been in place.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said fire crews responded to a blaze at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d’Alene at around 1:30 p.m. Gunshots were reported about a half-hour later.

In audio from the scene, a firefighter said there was an "emergency situation" and an "active shooter at a fire."

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"We need law enforcement up here immediately," the firefighter told a dispatcher, adding that there were "two battalion chiefs down."

"We have another Coeur d’Alene firefighter down ... we've got two unresponsive battalion chiefs down, multiple gunshot wounds, two Coeur d’Alene are down ... I'm pinned down," the caller continued.

The caller also says that the fire "was set intentionally to draw us in."

"It's clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in," the caller said.

Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said at a news conference later Sunday afternoon that two firefighters were killed and another was fighting for his life, though in stable condition, after receiving surgery. 

Authorities tracked down the body of the suspected sniper using cell phone information. 

Due to the danger, fire crews had to retreat, and the brush fire continued to pose a threat.

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Idaho Gov. Brad Little said "multiple" firefighters were attacked in the incident.

"Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho," he wrote on X. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken. As this situation is still developing, please stay clear from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to do their jobs."

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the agency responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support.

Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.