Regardless of What People Say, Crime is Down
In a landscape often dominated by headlines of turmoil and unrest, recent statistics offer a glimmer of hope: a remarkable decrease in violent crime across America. Amidst the challenges facing communities nationwide, this downward trend offers a silver lining in American life. As neighborhoods come together to address social issues and law enforcement agencies implement innovative strategies, the collective efforts of individuals and institutions alike are yielding tangible results.
From bustling cities to quiet suburbs, the decline in violent crime reflects a shared commitment to building safer, more inclusive communities. While the journey toward lasting change is far from over, the progress made thus far serves as a testament to the power of collaboration, perseverance, and the unwavering spirit of resilience that defines the American ethos.
In the middle of an election year full of intense rhetoric about the dire state of America’s long-running fight on crime, New Orleans-based crime data analyst Jeff Asher has discovered something that’s both exciting and in opposition to the conservative media’s claim that the US is at a nadir - murders are declining nationwide.
Murder is Plummeting
Asher made sure not to overstate things, after all murders are still happening. However, the data analyst states that he’s “seen enough” to go public with his findings. He writes:
Murder plummeted in the United States in 2023, likely at one of the fastest rates of decline ever recorded.
Crime Is Down Overall In America
While speaking with USA Today, Asher explained that the decline in murders is “potentially historically large,” and points to a major decrease in crime overall in America.
The Pandemic Spike
During the Covid-19 pandemic America experienced a rise in violent crime that included the police killings of George Floyd as well as other unarmed Black Americans. According to the FBI, violent crimes increased by 5.6% in 2020, with murders jumping an additional 4.3% in 2021. Jeffrey Butts, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and director of the school’s Research and Evaluation Center tells USA Today:
When COVID hit we saw this spike, so from 2020 to 2022 it was bad but… it still came nowhere near where we were in the 1990s.
Preliminary Numbers Show That Crime Overall Is Dropping
Even though conservative media and politicians claim that crime has never been higher the FBI found that in 2022 violent crime went down 1.7% and there were 6.7% fewer murders. While there’s no available data for 2023 (those numbers won’t be available until the fall) quarterly reports show violent crime continuing to drop.
A Considerable Change In American Life
Asher believes that preliminary data predicts that the final 2023 numbers will show a “considerable” drop-off of crime, with the FBI’s numbers showing murder dropping by around 15%, compared to 2022 where those numbers dropped by 8.2%.
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