Violent Crimes Down in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Nation
Following the trend that has played out in Louisiana and Shreveport; violent crime has dropped nationwide. This is according to new statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In the city of Shreveport, Police Chief Wayne Smith reported that violent crime in Shreveport has been declining. Including a 36% decline in shootings in the city. When the report was released, Chief Smith attributed the decline to "beefed up patrols" that targeted specific areas in the city.
In the state of Louisiana, violent crime rates are dropping as well. According to updated numbers, rape decreased by 25.7%, robbery decreased by 17.8%, and aggravated assault decreased by 12.5%. The report also shows property crimes are down by more than 15%. CBS reports Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, which tracks and analyzes criminal justice data says "we're talking about ... some of the lowest violent crime rates that we've seen since the early 1970s."
Now, new numbers from the FBI shows this local trend is also reflected nationwide. Violent crime rates have dropped across the nation, again, this time dropping 3% over the previous year. This is the third straight year of declining violent crime across the country, after it spiked to historic highs in 2020. Post-2020 Presidential election, violent crime nationwide has dropped every single year. USA Today comments:
"Crime rates have become a key issue in the 2024 presidential election. Monday’s report on violent crime trends runs counter to claims by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Democratic rival Kamala Harris for her record on crime and safety and claimed without evidence that migrants who cross the border illegally are responsible for a rising tide of violent crime."
The FBI statistics show that violent crime in America has been steadily declining since the 1990s.
Even with the overall decline in violent crimes over the last year (and previous years), there are some specific violent crimes that are increasing. car theft and hate crimes have both been increasing according to the FBI statistics.