The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released its yearly crime report for 2024, providing numbers that show a big drop in violent crime all across the United States. This information, gathered from more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies covering 95% of the country’s population, paints a clear picture of crime going down. This directly goes against repeated claims by Trump and the GOP that crime was rising out of control.
According to the report found by NBC, violent crime overall went down by about 4.5% last year. The decrease was seen in many different types of violent crimes. The report estimates that murders and nonnegligent manslaughter cases fell by a large 14.9%, while robberies dropped by 8.9%. Other violent crimes also saw big reductions, with rape decreasing by about 5.2% and aggravated assault going down by 3.0%. These numbers give solid proof that violent crime is actually decreasing nationwide.
Trump has said, “You can’t walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot, you get mugged, you get raped,” Trump said last year at a campaign event north of Detroit. A tweet even caught him saying that if you believed crime was going down, you had “a serious brain problem.” These are strong words when he was completely wrong.
Trump was proven wrong by facts again
Of course, the GOP backed Trump’s incorrect statements, with one republican saying that crime was “through the roof,” adding that “only a stupid person” would think crime was going down. The cherry on top is that the imaginary rising statistics were so bad in the heads of the GOP that House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “We can’t survive the dramatic increases in violence, crime, and drugs that the Democrats’ policies have brought upon our communities.”
Along with violent crimes, the FBI’s report shows that property crime also dropped, with an estimated 8.1% decrease from 2023 to 2024. Even hate crimes, which are tracked separately, went down by about 1.5%. While the report points out these positive trends, it also serves as a strong reminder that problems still exist.
Trump on debate: I said, anybody that thinks crime is going down is a serious brain problem. pic.twitter.com/yztXuupq9k
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 24, 2024
FBI Assistant Director Timothy Ferguson mentioned that even with the declines, violent crime still happened on average every 25.9 seconds, and property crime occurred every 5.3 seconds. These numbers provide important context, showing that while crime rates are falling, crime remains a widespread issue. We can now have a better idea of whether crime went up or down with Trump, but Trump will look for any excuse to take over areas with extreme federal force.
The report also includes serious statistics about the dangers faced by law enforcement officers. Even though crime overall went down, more officers were killed while doing their jobs. In 2024, 64 officers were murdered in the line of duty, with guns used in 46 of those killings. Another 43 officers died in accidents, mostly in car-related incidents. This brings the total number of officers murdered between 2021 and 2024 to 258.
Additionally, the data shows that assaults on officers reached a 10-year high, with more than 85,700 reported last year. An FBI official recognized this increase and promised a study to figure out why it’s happening. The official said that better reporting might be part of the reason, but confirmed that the overall rise in attacks on officers seems to be real.
