Another report contradicts the constant narrative that crime rates in the United States are out of control

of the fear-is-always-a-sellers-market department

For as long as the evening news has existed, the United States has been portrayed as a dangerous country. Reminding people that we are a very safe country, especially in the last 30 years, does not attract viewers.

And it’s not appealing to voters either. Among the many things Donald Trump lied about at his mid-July press conference was the violent crime rate in this country. (He also claimed that his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was weak on crime, despite her long experience as a prosecutor.)

I think our country is in the most dangerous situation it has ever been in, both economically and from a security perspective, both because of the gangs on the streets and, frankly, the gangs outside our country, in the form of gangs from other countries that are, frankly, very powerful. They are very powerful countries.

I’m not going to speculate on the nature of “gangs outside our country,” especially those in “frankly very powerful” countries. But it is plainly false to claim that the United States is in the “most dangerous situation it has ever been in… from a security perspective.”

Trump has said this sort of thing over and over again. There are variations on the same theme, but the theme remains the same no matter what the data actually says. While there was a notable increase in crime in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, crime rates did not increase across the country. The spikes that were seen this year have mostly declined. And, it should be noted, this has happened during Donald Trump’s presidency, despite his early promise to make this country a nation that automatically gives police officers all the respect they have failed to earn on their own.

Meanwhile, social media and traditional media have contributed to this false narrative by insisting that viral videos of abnormal criminal behavior are representative of the nation as a whole.

The FBI’s most recent data — the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) — shows double-digit declines in violent and property crime rates.

A comparison of data from agencies that voluntarily submitted at least two or more months of common data for January through March 2023 and 2024 indicates that reported violent crimes decreased by 15.2%. Murders decreased by 26.4%, rapes decreased by 25.7%, robberies decreased by 17.8%, and aggravated assaults decreased by 12.5%. Reported property crimes also decreased by 15.1%.

This report is far from complete. U.S. law enforcement participation is just over 70 percent. Additionally, the FBI has overhauled its crime categorization, which may result in over- or under-reporting of some crimes until all reporting law enforcement agencies are on the same page in terms of crime classification.

But that sounds like pretty good news, even if you’ll never hear it from the alarmists and opportunists who always seem to have access to the biggest megaphones.

Other data has been released by another agency that compiles its own crime rate reports. The Major Cities Chiefs Association report (PDF) covers 69 of the nation’s largest cities. And the crime rate declines reported here are staggering.

According to the Axios study, 54 of the 69 major cities in the report saw declines in violent crime (defined as homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) in the first half of 2024.

Columbus, Ohio, saw the largest percentage decline in violent crime in the country, with a massive 41% drop so far in 2024. Omaha, Nebraska, came in second with a 30% drop.

In Miami and Washington, D.C., violent crime is down 29 percent so far.

Austin, Texas, saw a 28% decline, followed by New Orleans with a 26% decline.

Additionally, Boston saw a 78 percent drop in homicides. And Philadelphia, a city that crime-fighting advocates like to criticize for electing a “progressive” district attorney, saw a 42 percent drop in homicides over the same period.

The data contradicts the narrative. But the narrative is often the only thing most people pay attention to. Crime rates peaked in the early 1990s and have been declining ever since. Contrary to Trump’s claims, this nation is on its way out. the safest The situation is the worst it has ever been in terms of crime rates. More people need to be informed of these facts and adapt their actions accordingly. There is no reason why we, as a nation, should continue to tolerate powerful and influential people who insist on pretending otherwise.

Filed under: crime rate, Donald Trump, hysteria, MCAA, police, public safety