Protests are erupting in Los Angeles and other cities, with streets filled with demonstrators clashing with police. The president deployed National Guard troops and Marines.
Jillian Snider
Scenes of civil unrest including property damage, looting, tense standoffs and clouds of tear gas have dominated headlines, fueling a sense of chaos and uncertainty. The deployment of military forces and the escalation of political violence underscore a deeper anxiety: that law and order in America remains fragile, even as crime statistics indicate steady declines.
Violent crime rates are falling. Homicides are down 20% nationwide, and places such as Baltimore, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia are reporting their lowest murder counts in decades. The White House and city leaders are right to note this progress.聽
But the reality on the ground is far more complicated 鈥 and troubling.
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For all the celebration about plunging聽murder rates, communities continue to be shaken by criminal incidents that shatter a sense of safety. In recent weeks, shootings in Chicago, Las Vegas and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, have left dozens injured and several dead. Scenes of violence 鈥 targeted or random 鈥 are making headlines with alarming regularity. These events, though statistically less common than nonviolent crime, have an outsize effect on public perception and community well-being.
Official crime numbers do not tell the whole story. Half of all violent crimes and two-thirds of property crimes are never reported to police, meaning many criminal acts never enter official records, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 2023, only 45% of violent crimes and 30% of property crimes were reported to law enforcement, the bureau estimates.
Many victims remain silent out of fear, distrust or the belief that reporting won鈥檛 help. Changes in crime reporting systems 鈥 such as the FBI鈥檚 shift to the National Incident-Based Reporting System 鈥 have created gaps and inconsistencies, making it harder to obtain a clear picture of public safety.
The real crime landscape is far more complex than the statistics suggest.
Even when crimes are reported, police often struggle to solve them. National clearance rates for murder and violent crime . In 2023, less than 51% of homicides and 41% of crimes against people were cleared. This means many offenders are never brought to justice, further undermining public confidence in law enforcement and emboldening those who would do harm.
The dangers faced by law enforcement are a sobering reminder of the stakes. In the past month, at least seven police officers have been killed in the line of duty, including fatal shootings in Apache Junction, Arizona; Bloomfield, New Mexico and Chicago. Each tragedy amplifies the sense of vulnerability and loss.
A major driver of these problems is a crisis in recruitment and retention in law enforcement. Many departments are losing officers faster than they can hire, shrinking by in recent years. The New York Police Department continues to lose a few hundred officers monthly, while cities such as New Orleans and Minneapolis are operating with forces significantly smaller than they were a decade ago. This 鈥渢hinning blue line鈥 leads to fewer patrols, slower response times and overburdened detectives 鈥 directly affecting clearance rates and the ability to control crime.
Transparency and consistency in police data are essential. Robust transparency can help law enforcement build legitimacy and trust with the public, providing a factual foundation for dialogue and improvements that allow agencies to identify problems and disrupt cycles of violence.
The bottom line is: Law and order in America is not restored just because crime rates are falling. As long as violence continues to shake communities, half of crimes go unreported, clearance rates remain low and police departments struggle to maintain adequate staff, the problem remains urgent.
Until every community feels safe 鈥 not just safer on paper 鈥 law and order will remain a pressing and persistent challenge.
