US crime statistics from FBI should be viewed with caution, experts warn

Annual report shows violent crimes dipped by 2% in 2022 but only 83% of US law enforcement agencies submitted data

After a spike of homicides in 2020 and 2021, the rate of violent crimes, including homicide, in the US fell last year to pre-pandemic levels, even as other types of crime increased, data released this week by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) show.

But experts say these findings should be viewed with caution, since much of it is based on incomplete data from local police departments.