Discrepancies in Crime Data Fuel Debate in 2024 Election

Conflicting crime statistics from the FBI and DOJ are at the center of political claims by Harris and Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris claims violent crime is at a near 50-year low based on FBI data, while former President Donald Trump argues it has risen sharply using DOJ statistics.
The FBI's Uniform Crime Report suggests a decline in violent crime since 2020, but a recent revision showed an increase in crime for 2022, raising questions about data accuracy.
The DOJ's National Crime Victimization Survey indicates a 37% increase in violent crime from 2020 to 2023, highlighting a significant discrepancy with FBI reports.
Experts caution that both data sets have limitations, with the FBI data potentially underreporting due to voluntary police department participation and the DOJ survey excluding homicides.
The debate over crime statistics is intensified by political narratives, with each side using selective data to support their claims in the ongoing election campaigns.