A recent investigative report claims that the FBI has quietly revised its violent crime statistics for 2022, which could have political implications ahead of the upcoming US election.
According to a report released Wednesday by RealClearInvestigations, the FBI allegedly updated its data to show a 4.5 per cent increase in violent crime in 2022, contradicting an initial report of a 2.1 per cent decrease. The report says the FBI made the changes without public announcement or explanation, claiming the changes were discovered via a link on the organisation’s website.
The revised data allegedly included thousands more murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults than the original data, the publication adds.
The report’s authors suggest that the change could affect Democrats’ political narratives on crime rates.
When the data was first released last year, it “quickly became and remains the Democratic Party’s talking point to counter Donald Trump’s claims of a sharp rise in crime,” the report notes.
It cites the researchers’ concern about the lack of explanation for these alleged changes. RealClearInvestigations reported that the FBI did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations. Republican candidate and former President Trump shared the report, saying, “President Trump Is Right … Again.”
