The FBI has released its crime statistics for 2021. After 2020 data showed a steep increase in murder and violent crime, the big question was whether this was a pandemic anomaly or whether 2021 would continue the trend. The highly anticipated (and disappointing) answer: No one knows.
The latest FBI crime report—which relies on police departments voluntarily reporting local crime data—has major gaps. The New York City and Los Angeles police departments didn't report at all. Neither did most jurisdictions in Florida and many in California. The Phoenix Police Department only reported for one month; the Chicago Police Department for a little more than half the year. Overall, just 11,794 of 18,806 U.S. law enforcement agencies submitted relevant crime statistics for 2021.
