FBI: Murder rate, other violent crime stayed flat in 2021

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Violent and property crime remained steady in the United States throughout 2021 after a significant spike in the murder rate in 2020, according to new report Wednesday from the FBI.

The report is based on data from over 11 million offenses reported to the Uniform Crime reporting Program's National Incident-Based Reporting System, the agency said in a press release.

The FBI estimates that violent crime decreased by 1% overall in 2021, with murder rates increasing by 4.3% and robbery decreasing by 8.9%. Though the data ostensibly shows fluctuating crime rates, changes to FBI data collection methods mean that estimates account for a larger portion of the data than ever before.

Data collection in 2021 was further complicated by the fact that certain jurisdictions, notably Los Angeles and New York, have not participated in the data collection process. The FBI has stated that "the non-significant nature of the observed trends is why, despite these observed changes, the overall message is that crime remained consistent."

Though the murder rate appears not to have increased significantly in 2021, it was still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic after a 29.4% increase in 2020.