(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) In a recent report the Federal Bureau of Investigation released crime statistics showing a decline in crime across the nation.
But, for reasons one cannot help but guess, they left out the statistics from major metropolitan areas, including New York and Los Angeles, where crime has spiked dramatically in the past year, the New York Post reported.
The new method of data collection resulted in 469 of 593 failed to report crime data, including the notorious New York Police Department. There were similar trends across other crime-ridden states like California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to Jillian Snider, the policy director for the R Street Institute’s criminal justice and civil liberties team, no real conclusions can be drawn from the FBI’s evidence.
“The overwhelming lack of law enforcement participation presents a challenge when assessing the true state of nationwide crime in America,” she said.
Josh Sugarmann, executive director at the Violence Policy Center, noted that when looking at actual reports, one gets a much more alarming picture of the status of law and order in America.
“We’re in a crisis as far as gun homicide in this country … and communities are looking for answers. We have the highest numbers we’ve ever seen regarding gun homicides, with the least amount of information available that we’ve ever seen.”
He added that the data in the FBI report is obviously skewed, perhaps for partisan reasons.
“What’s striking, just going through it, is that some of the states that have the most comprehensive reporting systems in place are those that have the lowest participation in the NIBRS program, states like California, New York, New Jersey,” he added.
According to Sugarmann, the FBI’s decision to collect crime data in a different way could be “a devastating decision that has come at the worst possible time” because nobody will have an accurate picture of America.
