Crime Report Revised
In a quietly executed but significant update, the FBI revised its 2022 crime data to reflect an increase in violent crimes, contradicting the original report that had shown a decline in such offenses.
This revision, which highlights a net increase of over 80,000 violent crimes, has sparked fresh controversy—particularly as the original data had been lauded by the Biden-Harris administration as evidence of their success in curbing crime.
The original 2022 data, released in September 2023, indicated a 2.1% drop in violent crime compared to 2021, which was widely celebrated as part of a larger narrative that crime was declining under the current administration. However, recent adjustments tell a different story: violent crime actually increased by 4.5%, a stark contrast to earlier reports. This upward revision includes an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults that had not been previously accounted for.
John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, was quick to criticize both the FBI and the media, pointing out how the narrative of falling crime was prematurely embraced. “For a year after the 2022 data was put out, we were seeing headlines saying ‘violent crime is falling,’” Lott told Fox News Digital, highlighting that the revision was not widely acknowledged by the same outlets that had initially praised the data.
This new data has further fueled partisan debates, with the Biden administration continuing to argue that overall crime is declining under their leadership. President Biden, in recent statements, pointed to what he called “historic” reductions in violent crime, crediting policies like the American Rescue Plan, which funded public safety initiatives. The White House also reiterated that violent crime remains “at a near 50-year low” and cited independent data showing continued declines in 2023.
Yet, this revision has given critics, particularly those aligned with former President Donald Trump, fresh ammunition. The Trump campaign claimed victory, insisting that the original numbers were misleading from the start. “President Trump was right… AGAIN!” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, accusing the Biden administration of falsifying data to make their record appear better than it is.
The situation is further complicated by differing crime metrics from other governmental sources. For example, the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics recently reported a rise in crimes such as rape, aggravated assault, and robbery from 2020 to 2023. Their National Crime Victimization Survey showed a marked increase in overall violent crime rates, further muddling the narrative of a crime decline under Biden.
The FBI, responding to the growing controversy, defended its data collection process, explaining that adjustments are not uncommon as more information becomes available. The Bureau acknowledged challenges related to data collection, particularly in 2021 when many law enforcement agencies were unable to transition to a new reporting system. This, the agency argues, contributed to discrepancies in the 2021 and 2022 data.
As debates rage on, this discrepancy has left the Biden administration in a difficult spot, with their previous claims of success in reducing violent crime now facing scrutiny. The revision has also cast doubt on the current narrative of crime reduction in 2023, as the updated 2022 numbers call into question whether the reported 3.5% decline in 2023 can be taken at face value.