President Joe Biden recently pointed to new statistics indicating a decrease in violent crime rates compared to when he and Vice President Kamala Harris assumed office. This comes as the issue of reducing crime continues to be a focal point for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
In a statement released over the weekend, President Biden emphasized that Americans are now safer than they were at the beginning of his term. He expressed the need to sustain these positive trends by urging Congress to allocate funding for an additional 100,000 police officers, as well as for crime prevention and community violence intervention programs. Additionally, he called for the implementation of common-sense gun safety reforms, including a ban on assault weapons.
According to data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, violent crime has reached a 50-year low. The organization, comprised of police chiefs from major cities nationwide, reported a decline in violent crime across all categories during the first half of 2024.
Official FBI data further supports these findings, showing a significant drop in violent crime rates in the United States throughout 2023 and the initial quarter of 2024. While certain communities experienced increases, the overall trend indicates a decrease in violent crime compared to 2020 levels.
A recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed that reducing crime remains a top political priority for both Republicans and Democrats. In 2024, 68% of Republicans and 47% of Democrats identified reducing crime as a key political concern, marking an increase for both parties since 2021.
