Crime Fell as U.S. Gun Ownership Increased, FBI Data Shows
Newly released FBI data found that nationwide crime fell in the fourth quarter of 2023, notably following a record-breaking surge in firearm sales.
In 2023, millions of Americans purchased firearms each month. In June of the same year, the U.S. saw a record-breaking 47 consecutive months of more than 1 million gun purchases, according to data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which is used each time a person purchases a gun from a licensed seller.
According to the new FBI data, there was a 6% decline in reported violent crime from 2022 to 2023, a 13% decline in murder, and a 4% decline in reported property crime. Former CIA analyst Jeff Asher noted, however, that because the FBI data can only collect reported crime, this quarterly report must be taken with a “grain of salt,” at least until the final numbers are released in October 2024.
“We assume almost all homicides are reported, but BJS surveys show that around half of violent crimes and 30ish percent of property crimes get reported,” Asher said. “[W]e know that some crimes are less likely to be reported to police than others.”
The FBI statistics showing the crime drop were compiled using data derived from 15,199 law enforcement agencies. The FBI noted in this report that there are 19,152 total agencies; however, the data is all voluntarily submitted to the federal agency by local law enforcement, meaning that some police departments have not yet integrated the new reporting system. This data could, therefore, not factor in certain departments that do not have the manpower to submit voluntary crime reports to the FBI.
Many such departments have dwindled police forces due to city-wide budget cuts resulting from the “defund the police” movement which spread rapidly in 2020, the effects of which are still evident today. Other departments faced mass resignations in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, which pitted residents against officers, creating a hazardous and tempestuous work environment.
Additionally, several liberal cities and states have skewed reports and have even celebrated low incarceration rates, despite increased local crime.
It was recently reported that the Pittsburg police department would only have 22 officers on patrol between the hours of 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. due to severe staffing shortages. Meanwhile, Baltimore, Maryland is currently struggling to find officers to respond to reports of child abuse and missing persons.
Despite the numerous challenges facing cities that embraced soft-on-crime policies and supported slashing police budgets, the preliminary FBI data does follow trends observed in states that have adopted Constitutional Carry laws that allow citizens to protect themselves and their property. Ohio recently reported a decrease in violent crime following the implementation of a Constitutional Carry law allowing residents to carry a concealed firearm in public without a government-issued permit.
