The most recent data from the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report for Q3 2023 indicates that the majority of crime in the US is decreasing. Some has even returned to levels seen before the pandemic and others reached lows not seen in decades.
This encompasses various categories including violent crime, murder, rape, aggravated assault robbery, poverty crime, burglary, and larceny. The quarterly data reveals the steepest percentage declines ever recorded for violent crimes.
Contrary to the prevailing belief of increasing crime in America, fueled by the proliferation of media content, particularly larceny, or petty theft and shoplifting, there are indications of a decline. This trend is exemplified in San Francisco where larceny surged after a 2020 law reclassified it from a misdemeanor to a lesser offense.
Footage depicting shoplifters boldly looting establishments such as Rite Aid and Neiman Marcus became viral sensations on social media. Coupled with the riots that swept across the US during the summer of 2020, it created an atmosphere reminiscent of Kurt Russell’s “Escape from New York,” suggesting that American cities were descending into chaos.
According to freelance crime analyst Jeff Asher, this is precisely why many Americans fail to acknowledge the significant decline in crime rates. He argues that crime, across various categories and spanning nearly the entire country, is decreasing rapidly.
“Detroit is on pace to have the fewest murders since 1966 and Baltimore and St Louis are on pace for the fewest murders in each city in nearly a decade,” Asher writes on his Substack.
“Murder is down 13.4 percent in cities under 100,000 with data in the sample and it’s down 12.6 percent in cities with 250,000 or more,” he adds.
Asher urges caution, noting that the Unified Crime Report reflects data from a previous period, causing a delay in understanding the true nature of the year 2023 until the final quarter’s data is included.
“The quarterly data shows violent crime down in big cities, small cities, suburban counties, and rural counties, pretty much across the board. To put some of this in perspective, a 4 percent decline in the nation’s violent crime rate relative to 2022’s reported rate would lead to the lowest violent crime rate nationally since 1969,” writes Asher.
However, there are some important points to consider. The FBI’s data was gathered from agencies covering up to 78% of the American population, yet significant cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, known for various types of crime, were excluded due to their lack of reported data.
In major urban areas, there has been a notable increase in auto theft, which moderates what would otherwise appear to be substantial decreases in property crime nationwide.
Additionally, the FBI’s data contains intriguing crime statistics from counties along the southern border of the United States.
Among them, eight cities – Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Eagle Pass, and El Paso in Texas; Sunland Park, New Mexico; Yuma, Arizona; and San Diego – exhibited a homicide rate of 4.2 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 6.2.
Particularly noteworthy is El Paso, a city with a population of 677,000 which stands out as one of the safest communities of its size, as per Axios’ analysis.
What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!
True Activist / Report a typo
