FBI says U.S. murders rose in 2021, but data is incomplete
The FBI reported on Wednesday that the number of reported murders in the United States increased last year, but warned that due to a change in its data collection methods, its tally did not include the nation’s two largest cities, New York and Los Angeles.
The vast majority of reported homicides in the United States have been committed with a firearm, according to data from the FBI.
The rise follows a 29.4% increase in the murder rate the previous year.
Although the new report indicates that violent crime decreased by approximately 1 percent in 2021 and the statistics are still incomplete, experts say the bureau’s findings indicate that violent crime remains a significant issue in the United States.
On a call organized by the left-leaning Center for American Progress, former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters, “Violent crime, and specifically gun crime, remains a significant challenge for our nation.”
Justice Department officials told journalists on a Tuesday conference call prior to the release of the complete data set that the transition to a new method of data collection meant that only 52 percent of U.S. law enforcement agencies had submitted their full 12-month crime data for 2021 by the deadline of March 2022.
The data excludes complete reports from agencies such as the New York City Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco Police Department, and Phoenix Police Department in Arizona.
The increase and the inadequacy of the data have already drawn criticism as Republicans increasingly emphasize crime concerns in their campaign messaging ahead of the November 8 midterm elections, in which they are expected to retake at least one chamber of Congress from President Joe Biden’s Democrats.
In a statement, Texas Republican U.S. Representative Michael Burgess said, “Under the Biden administration, violent crime has skyrocketed in this country,” adding that the new data is “very concerning.”
A survey conducted by Reuters/Ipsos and released on Wednesday revealed that registered voters, including the key demographic group of suburban women, believe Republicans are better equipped than Democrats to combat crime.
FBI says U.S. murders rose in 2021, but data is incomplete
This is the first time the FBI and the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics have fully implemented the National Incident-Based Reporting System, a more detailed crime-reporting system.
On Wednesday’s report, approximately 9,700 law enforcement agencies were unable to submit complete data sets by the March 2022 deadline.
Some of the new data to be released on Wednesday, according to Justice Department officials, will include estimates derived from partial-year data reported by some law enforcement agencies. Officials from the department reported that they were able to generate state-level estimates for approximately 40 of the 50 states, which accounts for approximately 65% of the U.S. population.
Justice Department and FBI officials told reporters on Tuesday that the new methodology for crime data collection will include many previously unreported crimes. These include statistics regarding drug offenses, human trafficking, bribery, and counterfeiting, as well as additional information regarding offenses such as simple assault and intimidation.
The Vera Institute’s vice president of advocacy, Insha Rahman, stated, “Even though the data is incomplete and we cannot draw conclusions about national trends, we must address the public’s concerns about crime and violence.”
She added that the report only emphasizes the necessity of evidence-based solutions to reduce gun violence and make communities safer.
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