Violent crime decreased in the United States last year, according to new FBI statistics, including a significant drop in the number of homicides.
The data shows that homicides fell nearly 12% in the United States between 2022 and 2023 – the largest decline in decades, according to the FBI. The reported number of rapes also dropped significantly, by more than 9%, while hate crimes fell by less than 1%.
Overall, violent crimes decreased by about 3%.
Crime rates have become one of the biggest political issues in the country as the 2024 presidential elections approach. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has sought to make crime a central issue in the elections, claiming that crime rates are rising and trying to portray his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, as weak on crime.
But Harris is keen to use her experience as a prosecutor to emphasize her efforts in reducing crime rates, although her record has been divisive among left-leaning supporters who believe the Vice President was too tough on crime during her tenure as Attorney General of the state.
Trump, for his part, promises an aggressive approach to crime. While accepting the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, Trump reiterated his support for local police departments to adopt “stop and frisk” tactics, which have been consistently linked to increased reports of racial discrimination. He also supports the passage of federal legislation that would make it harder to prosecute police officers for misconduct.
The report is based on statistics collected from 16,334 law enforcement agencies across the country, according to the department – more than 85% of agencies are enrolled in the FBI’s crime reporting system. The agency received statistics from major police forces, such as the New York and Los Angeles Police Departments.
Source: CNN