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Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026

Is America’s violent crime rate at a multi-decade low, as Sen. Lankford claimed?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

Multiple analyses of FBI and Bureau of Justice Statistics crime data show the U.S. violent crime rate is near multi‑decade lows, with one report finding the rate to be the lowest since 1969.

A BBC analysis of FBI data found the violent crime rate was about 348.6 per 100,000 people in 2024, the lowest since 1969. The FBI’s 2025 report differs slightly from its 2019 report, though both show a substantial downward trend.

The BJS reported a violent crime rate of 230 per 100,000 people in 2024, excluding murder.

FBI and BJS measures found violent crime to have decreased about 49% and 71%, respectively, between 1993 and 2022. Robbery had the largest decrease at 74%.

Though no single cause explains the decline, some have emphasized federal investments in public safety, such as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

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