TL;DR: Murder, Rape, Robberies and Property Crime are falling across the US.
A promising trend in public safety is good news. When the sector of public safety is violent crime, then it is really good news. According to the FBI's latest Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program data, violent crime dropped by more than 15% in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
This is nearly an across the board trend, with particularly sharp drops in murders (26.4%), rapes (25.7%), robberies (17.8%), and aggravated assaults (12.5%).
Even property crime followed along downward showing a decrease of 15.1%.
“<The new data> makes clear that last year’s historic decline in violent crime is continuing.” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.
And his sentiment aligns with findings from experts like Jeff Asher of AH Datalytics, who point to a potential record-breaking annual decline in the U.S. murder rate. Compared to the first five months of 2023, murders this year have dropped more than 40% in major cities, suggesting a significant shift.
Some people are going to cite the data as imprecise, because it relies on voluntary submissions and are often refined as the year progresses. However, what cannot be refuted is that this overall trend echoes positive trends from other data sources. PLUS, who is not going to report a murder or similar violent crime? I mean really.
These good stats rightfully should paint an optimistic picture of public safety. Hopefully we will find that what is transpiring for the positive in America is echoed across the globe.