Staff Reports
The FBI has given a new spin to its 2022 crime data, flipping the narrative from a supposed 2.1% decrease in violent crime to a startling 4.5% increase. This loud and clear wake-up call has led many to wonder whether the FBI’s figures, often parroted by Democrats and their media allies, are truly worth the paper they’re printed on. Experts suggest this data debacle is just scratching the surface of a much deeper problem with how crime is reported in the United States.
For years, Democrats have eagerly referred to the FBI’s clunky statistics to suggest that crime is on the decline under President Biden. Most recently, the administration has boasted about a supposed 3% drop in violent crime for 2023. But with the FBI’s recent revision of 2022’s numbers, one must wonder how much of that cheerleading is built on shaky ground. When the agency’s counting methods are as tangled as the rules of a cornhole game at a family barbecue, it’s hard to take those claims seriously.
Dems, Corporate Media Rushed To Cite FBI Data Showing Crime Decrease — Experts Say The Numbers Are Flawedhttps://t.co/CBJ2Frvwoj
— DC Enquirer (@DcEnquirer) October 21, 2024
As the FBI’s own metrics show, the agency relies on voluntary reporting from police departments—a method that, unsurprisingly, leads to huge gaps in data. With only about 85% of local departments participating in 2023, it leaves around 3,000 agencies in the dark. Why not just provide the complete tally? Instead, crime counts come with disclaimers as long as a grocery store receipt. Not to mention the fact that if you call 911 and state that your situation is “not an emergency,” you better be prepared to be schooled in the fine art of bureaucratic reporting to ensure your incident is counted. Who knew defending your property would involve filling out paperwork like you’re filing for a home loan?
Those in the know recognize that the FBI’s transition to only using the incident-based reporting system has left many departments feeling like they’re trying to win a game of chess with a set of checkers. The participation rate took a nosedive—53% in 2021—because many agencies weren’t equipped to comply with this intrusive new standard. Ultimately, the FBI loosened the rules to allow the summary reporting system to creep back into play, leaving us with numbers that are more reminiscent of a wild guess than a data-driven analysis.
The cherry on top of this data disaster is that many crimes are simply never reported. Just think about it: motor vehicle theft is a crime that usually guarantees a police report since folks need that to collect insurance. This year saw an astronomical 12.6% uptick in car thefts, particularly in larger cities—with some experiences hitting a staggering 20% surge. It raises significant questions about how bad the crime problem really is, especially when the FBI relies on a system that can’t account for the bulk of the crime happening in front of our very eyes.
With all these inconsistencies in mind, some experts suggest that understanding crime on a national level may be fundamentally flawed. Crime is a hyper-local problem, often heightening in specific cities and neighborhoods. Established pattern observers can attest that many urban areas still face crime rates at levels reminiscent of a post-George Floyd world. Democrats might have their talking points about declining crime, but when looking at the facts of city life during the Biden-Harris administration, the picture painted is one of growing distress. As cities such as Oakland and Chicago report staggering increases in robberies, the façade constructed by leftist political figures begins to crumble.
