Violent crime rises in US, but remains well below peak levels, says FBI
Violent crime in the United States saw an increase in 2015, according to the annual report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Yet , released on Monday, offers some solace to those seeking wider trends: While the numbers are higher than the two preceding years, they remain lower than at any other time in the past two decades.
Moreover, the more pronounced spike in homicides 鈥� higher than at any time since 2009 鈥� has been driven largely by three cities, rather than representing a nationwide shift.
With the first presidential debate scheduled for Monday night, some observers, such as聽Harvard Law School research fellow Robert Smith,聽caution that the FBI鈥檚 report could be used as a 鈥減olitical football,鈥� as the candidates are likely to focus on public safety as one of the main themes.聽
"The vast majority of normal citizens have no idea about crime trends," Matthew Robinson, a professor of government and justice at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., told 海角大神 last week.
This lack of context leaves many people open to the influence of those who, using the surface statistics of reports such as the FBI鈥檚 latest, would paint a picture of a nation descending into a spiral of violence.
Donald Trump has declared himself the 鈥渓aw and order鈥� candidate, declaring the nation鈥檚 crime rate to be 鈥渙ut of control,鈥� and recently won an endorsement from the largest police union in the country.
Yet the authors of a study published last week by the Brennan Center of Justice, entitled 鈥淐rime in 2016: A preliminary analysis,鈥� beg to differ with Mr. Trump鈥檚 characterization of the United States as a country plagued by a surging crime wave.
"The average person in a large urban area is than he or she would have been at almost any time in the past 30 years," the study's authors conclude.聽
The researchers considered the 30 largest cities in the US, and found that half of the 14 percent increase in murder rates in 2015, compared with 2014, was prompted by just three cities: Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
The statistics used by the FBI in compiling their annual report have suffered criticism in recent years due to alleged inconsistencies in reporting by different law enforcement agencies. But alongside the release of the latest report, the agency鈥檚 director, James Comey, spoke of the importance of addressing these concerns, detailing a new system due to roll out no later than 2021.
鈥淲e need more in law enforcement,鈥� said Mr. Comey. 鈥淚nformation that is accurate, reliable, complete, and timely will help all of us learn where we have problems and how to get better.鈥�
Material from the Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.
