FBI data show sharp drop in violent crime but steepness is questioned

The Biden administration is taking credit for a sharp drop in violent crime nationwide earlier this year but one expert cautions that the declines in FBI data are preliminary and likely overstated.

The data show steep drops in every category of violent crime in every region in the first three months of 2024 compared to a year earlier, continuing a downward trend since a coronavirus pandemic surge.

Murder and rape were both down 26%, robbery was down 18%, and aggravated assault fell by 13% in the first quarter. Overall violent crime was down 15%, reflecting drops in every region, from 10% in the West to 19% in the Midwest, according to the FBI data released Monday.

Property crime meanwhile decreased by 15%, according to the data trumpeted by President Joe Biden in a statement.