A recent Gallup poll found that 77% of people in the U.S. believe the crime rate is rising. News stories and viral crime videos are contributing to this fear throughout the country.
The annual FBI crime report released in October covered 94% of the country and found that violent crime in 2022 had fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, and murder rates dropped 6.1%. Data suggest growing crime fears are often misinformed, but that doesn’t stop authorities from exploiting this fear.
Crime fears are being used to expand the police state. Take the recent deployment of National Guard soldiers and an additional 250 police officers to NYC subways, for example. Subway crime was down 15% in February 2024 compared to February 2023. How can we reject this push and others across the country?
Giving into the flames of fear being stoked by our leaders won’t save us. As Malcolm X said, “If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
Through the combined effort of authorities and unquestioning media organizations, the misinformation about crime can be weaponized against us. We have to be critical of this fear and reject increased policing. Don’t just accept the dominant narratives about increasing crime.