by Kerby Anderson

Is crime on the rise in America? You got two different answers to that question at the two political conventions. Donald Trump said, “violent crime has increased in cities across America.” President Obama talked about “huge drops in the murder rates” in a number of cities. You also get various answers depending on the commentator. Newt Gingrich wrote about the crime rate statistics because comedy show host John Oliver mocked Gingrich for defending Trump’s statement that crime is on the rise. I even had a caller to my radio program ask about the crime statistics since we are getting different perspectives. President Obama wanted to talk about successes in his speech so he chose some of the long-term crime statistics. As I explained on my radio program, the crime rate has been dropping for many years, but it now seems to be increasing in major cities. Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich were talking about recent statistics. They are also correct that the crime rate is currently on the rise. Skeptics do point out that only a few years of data do not constitute a long-term trend. That is true, but the trends so far should concern everyone. The latest data from the FBI shows that homicides nationwide have risen 6.2 percent and rapes have increased by 9.6 percent. One analysis of 56 major U.S. cities found that murders increased by 16-17 percent during the period analyzed by the study. Of course, we also have lots of anecdotal information. For example, the number of murders in Chicago has risen substantially. In fact, if the trend continues, that city will have more than 600 murders this year. And there is the report from one police association that also has documented the rise in violent crime in the 51 large cities surveyed. Yes, Mr. President, the crime rate has dropped over the years, but Donald Trump was talking about the recent uptick that should concern both Democrats and Republicans. John Oliver might think its funny to mock Newt Gingrich, but the crime rate is serious stuff.