Republicans have long accused Democrat-run cities of being hotbeds of violent crime, using the argument to undermine Democratic leadership. However, the statistics suggest otherwise.
Firstly, it should be noted that 76% of big cities are run by Democrats, which is mainly due to urban voters leaning towards liberal policies that benefit diverse populations. When people live in close proximity, there tends to be more crime. Therefore, it's natural for big cities to have higher crime rates than rural areas.
Despite this, the violent crime rate has been on the decline since the 1990s. The lowest levels were reached under the Obama administration in 2013 and 2014. The rate has spiked since then, but it's still much lower than it was in the 1990s. Property crime rates like theft and burglaries are also much lower than they were in the mid-90s.
Crime is a common boogeyman used by the right, along with other issues like transgenderism and Critical Race Theory. These issues are used to scare voters because the GOP cannot convince them with actual policies.
Interestingly, the stats show that the murder rate jumped 30% in 2020 under President Trump, while it only rose by 6% in 2021 under President Biden. Furthermore, it fell by 5% in 2022 under the Biden administration.
It's also worth noting that seven out of the top eight states with the highest murder rates are run by Republican governors. The 25 states won by Trump in 2020 had a 40% higher murder rate than those won by Biden. Red states had a per capita murder rate approximately 23% higher than blue states from 2000 to 2020.
Republicans often target mayors running Democrat-led cities, rather than governors running the states. However, it's worth noting that governors play a significant role in making state laws. The factors that contribute to crime, such as gun sales, economic conditions, poverty, drug use, mental health, and family environment, go beyond what a mayor can control.
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, often takes credit for crime falling in the city during the 1990s. However, crime rates fell in most cities nationwide during the 1990s and early 2000s. Many experts believe that Roe v. Wade played a large role. Abortion became legal in 1973, and 18 years later, crime rates fell. Fewer unwanted pregnancies may have resulted in fewer neglected children, which led to a decrease in crime.
Republicans' attempts to blame Democrats for high crime rates are misleading, as they neglect to consider the numerous factors that contribute to crime. Additionally, some rural towns have higher crime rates than big cities. Therefore, it's essential to consider the issue of crime beyond a partisan lens.
Republicans' Misleading Crime Narrative - Krassensteins Episode 4