With the release of the 2024 FBI Crime Report, we’re already seeing the inevitable headlines: “Crime is down!” “The top 10 most dangerous cities in the US!” “Mixed Crime Trends Across Major US Cities.” Even when viewing 2025 crime, similar headlines are popping up with many cities experiencing a decline in violence.
All of these statements are powerful and quickly make their way into news stories and commentary, often supported by national statistics or “experts” in various fields. But, as with most sweeping declarations, the reality is more complex.
Yes, overall crime may be down across the US, but that doesn’t mean crime is down everywhere. In some communities, the decline is clear. In others, crime has remained steady. And in some areas, crime has actually risen. Looking only at national totals, or even city totals, risks missing the local context that matters most—especially to individuals in their daily lives whose perception of crime levels may be very much at odds with the national crime numbers…