Is America More Dangerous Now Than It Was Four Years Ago?

Is America More Dangerous Now Than It Was Four Years Ago?

Here’s The Scoop

Despite President Joe Biden’s administration touting a recent report suggesting major cities are safer in 2024, multiple sources have told the Daily Caller that Biden’s policies have not contributed to a decrease in violent crime. In fact, some cities are still grappling with significant crime issues.

One police union representative described a liberal-run city as a “dystopian hell.” Changes in crime reporting protocols are creating an “illusion” of safety, according to law enforcement officers.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association reported data on violent crime from 69 cities, excluding New York City due to non-submission of data. An Axios analysis found a 6% overall decrease in violent crime in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. Columbus, Ohio, showed a 41% drop, the largest in the country, but officers on the ground see a different reality.

“Our officers and the citizens they serve are still battling violent crime daily,” said Brian Steel, President of the Ninth Capital City Lodge Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio. He criticized recent changes in crime reporting for creating a false sense of security.

Steel provided the Columbus Police Department’s Homicide Reporting protocol, updated in 2022 under Police Chief Elaine Bryant. The protocol inflates the clearance rate by counting solved cold cases towards the current year’s statistics.

The FBI’s switch to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) in 2021 has also contributed to data inconsistencies, with nearly 40% of law enforcement agencies not submitting data, including New York City and Los Angeles.

Nebraska’s FOP President Anthony Conner highlighted changes in crime reporting, noting that homicides are the most reliable metric because “you can’t hide a dead body.” He explained that shootings are now often downgraded from felony assaults to misdemeanor property crimes if the intended target is not identified.

Paul Ware, a retired police officer from Portland, Oregon, said some cities are underreporting crimes by reclassifying them, creating a misleading decrease in crime rates.

California FOP President Roger Hilton pointed to a San Francisco Chronicle investigation revealing that Oakland overstated its drop in crime. He criticized the limited tools available to police and the quick release of arrested individuals.

Omaha, Nebraska, experienced a 30% decrease in violent crime, attributed to a crackdown on gang violence by a supportive Republican mayor and an effective police chief. However, officer shortages could reverse this trend.

The Biden-Harris administration claimed a “record” 50-year low in violent crime in early 2024, crediting gun control policies and the “American Rescue Plan.” However, Brett Tolman, Executive Director for Right On Crime, argued that crime is primarily a local issue and that federal policies have had little impact.

Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute emphasized that funding is meaningless if people do not want to join the police force. She criticized the Biden administration for demoralizing police by labeling them as racist.

Oakland, California, reportedly experienced a drop in crime, but locals describe it as a “dystopian hell.” The Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA) has called for Mayor Sheng Tao to resign, blaming her and the City Council for reducing the police force.

Across the country, Americans are feeling the effects of rampant crime in major cities. In Seattle, a massive development project was stalled due to “open-air drug markets” and other illegal activities.

The migrant crisis is also influencing crime, even in non-border states like Nebraska, where cartels have made their way to Omaha. Juvenile crime is another factor, with left-wing organizations like the Sherwood Foundation pushing for juvenile justice reform.

The legacy of the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots continues to impact crime rates. Police were vilified and blamed for societal problems, leading to a spike in violent crime. Rioters in Portland even firebombed the police union’s headquarters.

Heather Mac Donald argued that the George Floyd riots, not the pandemic, contributed to the spike in violent crime. She pointed to a study showing that black juveniles were 100 times more likely to be shot than white juveniles during the riots.

Despite Biden’s claims of record-low violent crime, data from the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey shows crime has not fallen to pre-2019 levels.

“We must remain vigilant and honest about the challenges we continue to face,” said Brian Steel, “rather than being swayed by statistics that may not fully reflect the situation.”

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