Merrick Garland Addresses Recent Crime Data From FBI

(USNewsBreak.com) – Crime has been a focal point of concern for the public in the US, especially over the last several years. In 2024, the FBI is reporting a downward trend.

On Monday, June 10, the FBI released its Uniform Crime Reporting Data. From January to March 2024, the statistics showed that overall, violent crime decreased by 15.2% compared to the same period last year. When broken into different categories, the numbers show the true story. For instance, the number of murders dropped by 26.4%, aggravated assault dropped by 12.5%, and robbery decreased by 17.8%. The agency collected the data from law enforcement agencies nationwide that voluntarily submitted their records.

FBI's latest data shows "historic" drop in crime, Attorney General Merrick Garland says https://t.co/AyuEaYUUH8

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 11, 2024

Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke about the data in a statement and called the decrease, continued from the previous year, a “historic decline,” particularly regarding homicides. He noted that the data “does not represent abstract statistics. It represents people whose lives were saved.” Garland spoke about the surge of violence that took place during the early days of the 2020 health emergency and how federal agencies knew they would struggle with how to handle it. But, they “poured every available resource” into working with state and local partners “to drive down violent crime,” and it’s paying off.

Garland listed several courses of action that the Department of Justice is continuing to take, including investing in local police departments, pinpointing and prosecuting “principal drivers of gun violence,” and building the public’s trust in law enforcement agencies.

President Joe Biden also released a statement on the data, saying the decline “is no accident” and that his administration has worked diligently to provide the resources communities need and hold those who commit crimes accountable.

The data does not contain the overall number of incidents in each category. The FBI said it would release those figures when it achieves 80% participation.