Summary
In 2024, many U.S. cities reported historic declines in homicides and reductions in other violent crimes compared to 2023.
Cities like Philadelphia and Chicago saw notable drops, but some, such as Charlotte and Baton Rouge, experienced increases.
Despite these improvements, public perception of crime remains high, influenced by political rhetoric, media coverage, and local apps.
Experts note that gun violence disproportionately affects Black communities, impacting safety perceptions.
While intervention programs helped reduce violence, concentrated crime and rising shooting lethality continue to shape public unease.
That’s because local news endlessly amplifies whatever crime there is. Propaganda works.
That’s because local news is overwhelmingly Sinclair Broadcast Group
That’s because rather than petty crime, just as many people if not more are scared of the unaccountable, militarized, discriminatory police forces.
Tale as old as time. Stop watching local corporate news stations, they love cops and their bullshit lies.
Their social media tells them so.
Perception of safety has a lot more to do with high profile random violence (e.g. the recent well-publicized NYC subway crimes) and general street disorder. Nobody expects to get murdered, but people know they could run into a mentally ill addict or have to sit in a subway car with someone behaving in a scary fashion. I probably have 2 or 3 incidents a month on the subway where I am rattled by someone’s behavior. That impacts me more than murders in The Bronx.
Kids murdered gang shooting in the Bronx: sad but somewhere else
Guy pushed onto subway tracks in midtown: shit better watch my back
Experts note that gun violence disproportionately affects Black communities, impacting safety perceptions.
The ironic thing is that it makes white people feel less safe because black people are disproportionately the perpetrators, when instead it should make white people feel safer because black people are disproportionately the victims. The racism only ratchets one way.
I wonder how many gated communities they chose to collect the data from before declaring it’s a universal feeling
Covid and republicans make things unsafe.
Primarily because right-wing media tell them lies again an again.
