Progress: FBI Report Indicates Decrease In U.S. Violent Crime Rates For 2023

The latest FBI statistics reveal a notable decrease in overall violent crime across the United States in 2023, signaling a continued downward trajectory following a surge during the pandemic.

PBS reports that the latest FBI statistics reveal a notable decrease in overall violent crime across the United States in 2023, signaling a continued downward trajectory following a surge during the pandemic.

The quarterly report, which was unveiled on March 19, is derived from data provided by approximately 80 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide. A more comprehensive and detailed analysis for the entirety of 2023 is expected to be released in the fall.

According to data released this week, murders saw a significant drop of 13 percent in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year. Additionally, violent crime decreased by 6 percent overall. Property crime declined by about 3 percent nationwide, though regions such as the Northeast and large cities with populations exceeding 1 million experienced a slight increase in property crime rates.

President Joe Biden lauded the substantial decrease in the murder rate, calling it one of the sharpest declines in the country’s history. He attributed this positive trend to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which allocated $15 billion for public safety investments to cities and states.

“Keeping communities safe is my priority. While we’ve made major progress, we still have more work to do,” said Biden in a statement Tuesday. “That’s why I’ll keep fighting to make more investments in preventing crime, to fund additional accountable police officers to ensure trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and to ban assault weapons to keep guns out of dangerous hands — and I will continue to urge Republicans in Congress to join me.”

The FBI’s findings are consistent with those of the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice, which conducted a survey of 32 cities and found that homicides declined by an average of 10 percent compared to the previous year. However, despite those improvements, violent crime rates remain elevated in many urban areas compared to pre-pandemic levels.