Opinion
In a stunning revelation, the FBI has quietly revised its violent crime statistics for 2022, showing a significant rise in crime that had previously been concealed.
Initially, the Bureau claimed that violent crime had fallen by 2.1%, a figure that became a talking point for Democrats eager to downplay the nation’s crime crisis under the Biden administration. However, newly updated data reveals that violent crime actually increased by 4.5%, a staggering revision that raises serious concerns about the FBI’s transparency and possible political bias.
This revision was uncovered through a cryptic reference on the FBI’s website, where it was quietly noted that the 2022 violent crime rate had been updated. The Bureau did not issue a press release explaining the changes, leaving many researchers alarmed and skeptical about the integrity of the original data.
The revised statistics show an additional 80,029 violent crimes in 2022 compared to 2021, including 1,699 more murders, 7,780 more rapes, 33,459 more robberies, and 37,091 additional aggravated assaults. These are not minor adjustments but represent a major shift in understanding the extent of violence gripping the nation.
Researchers and crime analysts are deeply concerned that the FBI has failed to properly disclose or explain these dramatic changes.
From Realclearinvestigations.com:
Carl Moody, a professor at the College of William & Mary, emphasized the unprecedented nature of these revisions: “There were no revisions from 2004 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2020, the changes were less than one percentage point. The huge changes in 2021 and 2022, especially without an explanation, make it difficult to trust the FBI data.”
This lack of transparency has caused many to question the credibility of the crime data being presented to the public, with experts like Moody calling on the FBI to explain the reasons behind such a drastic shift in reporting.
The situation is further complicated by the ongoing border crisis under the Biden administration, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Millions of illegal aliens, many with criminal records, have poured across the southern border, and the resulting strain on law enforcement has contributed to rising crime in many American cities. Yet, the FBI’s delayed and understated reporting of these figures has downplayed the gravity of the situation. This comes at a time when many police departments are facing defund-the-police budget cuts and staffing shortages, exacerbating the public safety crisis.
Dr. Thomas Marvell, president of Justec Research, echoed these concerns: “It is up to the FBI to explain what they have done, and they haven’t explained these large changes.”He warned that the revised 2022 numbers suggest a broader issue with how the FBI collects and reports crime data. “This FBI report is stunning because it now doesn’t state that violent crime in 2022 was much higher than it had previously reported, nor does it explain why the new rate is so much higher, and it issued no press release about this large revision,” added David Mustard, a professor at the University of Georgia.
The FBI’s method for estimating crimes has long been criticized as opaque. The Bureau doesn’t simply count reported crimes—it extrapolates from partial-year data provided by police departments and makes estimates for cities that fail to report data. This “guesswork” has drawn sharp criticism, with former Bureau of Justice Statistics head Jeffrey Anderson describing the FBI’s processes as a “black box” even to other government agencies.
The media has also played a role in perpetuating the misleading narrative. Major outlets, including USA Today and National Public Radio, reported on the original, inaccurate data, reinforcing the false claim that violent crime was falling. USA Today’s headline declared “Violent crime dropped for third straight year in 2023, including murder and rape,” while NPR echoed the same message, claiming “violent crime is dropping fast in the U.S.”
However, the revised FBI numbers paint a much darker picture.
Without the increase in violent crime, the reported drop in 2023 would have been less than half as large—only 1.6% instead of the reported 3.5%. In contrast, other sources, such as the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), present an even more troubling reality. The NCVS found that violent crime had actually increased by 29.1% in 2022, with rapes up 42%, robberies up 63%, and aggravated assaults rising by 55%.
The FBI’s revised data, showing a 4.5% rise, pales in comparison.
The Harris-Biden administration’s failure to address both the crime crisis and border security is having tangible effects. While the media and politicians attempt to downplay these issues, Americans are feeling less safe, as reflected in recent polling data. A Gallup survey found that 92% of Republicans and 58% of Democrats believe crime is getting worse. Similarly, a Rasmussen poll revealed that 61% of voters think violent crime in the U.S. is increasing, compared to just 13% who believe it’s getting better.
As violent crime continues to rise, Americans are left questioning whether the government is truly working to keep them safe or simply trying to manipulate the narrative for political gain and keep President Trump from holding the agency accountable.
The FBI’s quiet revisions to the crime data, coupled with a lack of transparency, have only fueled these doubts. With millions of illegal immigrants, many with criminal backgrounds, streaming across the border unchecked, the stakes for public safety have never been higher.
These revelations underscore the importance of accurate crime reporting in understanding and addressing America’s crime problem. The FBI’s decision to quietly revise its violent crime data without proper explanation or acknowledgment leaves Americans questioning whether they can trust the very institutions tasked with protecting them.
