FBI Report Reveals Drop in Violent Crime, Surge in Hate Crimes

The FBI's annual report shows a 3% decrease in violent crime in the United States last year but a 2% increase in hate crimes. The report, compiling data from over 16,000 law enforcement agencies, highlights significant crime trends contrary to claims by some political figures.

The FBI's annual report indicates a small 3% drop in violent crime in the United States for the previous year, though the number of hate crimes has increased by 2%, a continuing trend according to the agency. Vital statistics were gathered from more than 16,000 local and state law enforcement agencies.

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter saw a significant decline of around 11.6%, while rape cases fell by 9.4%, the data revealed. However, the number of hate crimes reported rose to 11,862, up from 11,634 the previous year. This increase aligns with several years of rising hate crime incidents, with a notable surge of 11.6% in 2021, driven largely by bias against Black individuals.

Monday's revelations contrast with the narrative promoted by Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who has critiqued his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris's crime record and blamed migrants for rising violent crime rates. Despite the FBI's findings, Trump has vowed strict penalties for human traffickers and drug dealers if reelected. Meanwhile, a separate analysis by the Pew Research Center found that violent crime has significantly decreased by 49% since 1993, despite a brief surge during the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)