Why Black Americans Shouldn't Give In To Growing Crime Fears

people holding protest signs
Via flickr
Tremain Prioleau II
February 17, 2024

Authorities and government officials nationwide are pushing tough-on-crime fears to the public. The mayors of New York and Atlanta are two examples of this effort to expand police power, gleefully ignoring those it will harm the most: Black people.

According to a November 2023 Gallup poll, 63% of the population believe that crime in the United States is a serious issue. But is crime really that bad? What the FBI has to say about the crime rate may be surprising.

The reality is that the national crime rate has been falling for years. The homicide rate is expected to drop to 13% compared to 2022, according to Jeff Asher, a national crime analyst. That's 2,000 fewer victims than the previous year, so where’s this crime wave we’re all hearing about?

If crime is dropping significantly but officials are saying it’s rising, we have to question their real agenda. With efforts like Cop City in Atlanta, it's clear that there is a push to expand police power and justify it by stoking fear of crimes.

This dangerous rhetoric is just untrue. The only force pushing crime as an issue is law enforcement to bolster their own agendas. How can we use the truth to fight back against the advancement of the police state?

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