The FBI has quietly revised its 2022 crime data, now showing a 4.5% increase in violent crime, which includes thousands more murders, rapes, and assaults than initially reported. The updated data, released after an initial report in September 2023, contradicts the FBI’s previous claim that violent crime had dropped by 2.1%.
The FBI explained the change was due to an ongoing transition in its crime reporting systems. In 2021, the agency moved from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which led to incomplete data as many law enforcement agencies struggled to make the switch. These incomplete reports caused errors in the original 2022 crime figures.
NEW: FBI updates crime statistics showing that violent crime *increased* not decreased.
Trump was fact-checked during the debate after he (correctly) asserted that crime had increased.
New data reveals violent crime increased in 2022 by 4.5%, not decreased like the left… pic.twitter.com/ky4Y2pPf6j
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 16, 2024
In a statement defending the revisions, the FBI noted that they had to rely on a statistical sampling method to fill in gaps from 2021 and 2022, allowing them to produce a more accurate national crime estimate. The agency emphasized that despite the revisions, the overall violent crime rate still decreased by 1.6% in 2022, a smaller decline than the initial 3.5% drop reported.
The revised numbers have raised concerns among some observers who rely on FBI crime data to make decisions about public safety policy. With the 2022 crime data now showing a more significant rise in violent crime, these figures could become a focal point for policymakers and law enforcement officials.
After Democrats and journalists have spent the entire election cycle claiming that crime is down, the FBI three weeks before an election revises their crime statistics showing that crime increased by 4.5% in 2022 instead of dropping 2.1%.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/3wgaEsQoID
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 16, 2024
There it is: FBI "revised" violent crime data, now reporting that instead of a 2.1% drop in violent crime in 2022, it was actually a 4.5% increase. https://t.co/Bvbg0wKy1A pic.twitter.com/h6nfjRRlUb
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) October 16, 2024
To address these concerns, the FBI announced it would start releasing monthly updates on crime statistics to provide the public with more timely data. The agency hopes this move will improve transparency and give a clearer picture of crime trends as they occur.
