Keystone Today

Crime rates are soaring across the nation, and according to recent information provided by the FBI Crime Data Explorer the problem is one also being seen in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, in 2019 the FBI listed 105 violent crime incidents and 108 offenses reported by 26 Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies. This number drastically increased in 2021, with 13,274 violent crime incidents and 14,230 offenses reported by 40 Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies. U.S. Senate Democratic candidate John Fetterman, who is currently the Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, did not respond to multiple questions regarding crime and how he would handle it if he were in office. However, Fox News reported that he has made comments about releasing second-degree murderers, saying it is “mercy for the deserving and rehabilitated.”

“I hope that it could lead to a conversation that would free close to 1,200 people of a legacy that never made sense, that encompasses victims’ input, encompasses their conduct and behavior in prison,” Fetterman said, according to Fox News.

In August, the Associated Press reported that police departments are struggling with the rising crime. “This isn’t just an issue in Philadelphia. Departments all over are down and recruitment has been difficult,” Philadelphia police spokesman Eric Gripp said.

One man in Portland, George Spaulding, spoke to the AP about his his son who was killed five years ago. He said he isn’t dissatisfied with the work of the police saying, “They’re doing the best they can. They re just overwhelmed. It’s insane.” 

In 2021, Portland reported 89 homicides and is on track to have more in 2022, with the AP saying as many as three times more than the historical average. Many police officers retired or quit following the call to reform police departments stemming from George Floyd’s murder. 

Fox News reported on Oct. 5 that there were 20,900 murders in 2021, which was an increase of 4.3% according to FBI statistics. The report said murders are reaching levels similar to 2020, when they increased by 30%. Violent crime dropped 1% from 2020 to 2021. While crime rates have increased over the past five years, Fox News reports the FBI cannot grasp the full extent of the crime totals because police do not report total numbers.

“We’re seeing a disturbing violent crime surge across the country," FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said in the Fox News report. "I know you’re seeing it, too.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 16 that crime in New Orleans, which reportedly has the highest murder rate in the nation, is up 141% with 41 per 100,000 residents. The report chronicled New Orleans resident and auto shop owner Ibrahim Rabee, who said he does not feel safe. He said there have been seven people killed near his shop in 2022 and he had someone threaten him with a gun in his shop, and after a 911 call an officer didn’t show up until the next day. Criminologists and officers say the spike in violent crime is due to “stress from the pandemic, police pullbacks after racial-justice protests and proliferation of guns.” Call response times have increased to 2.5 hours, leading to many police officers quitting their jobs.

According to FBI Crime Data Explorer information, nationwide in 2019 there were 448,783 violent crime incidents and 520,209 offenses reported by 9,042 law enforcement agencies. In 2021, the number increased to 694,050 violent crime incidents, and 817,020 offenses reported by 11,794 law enforcement agencies.

Macrotrends reported that the crime rate nationally was 6.52 in 2020, which is a 28.64% increase from the year before.