Statement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation Quarterly Uniform Crime Report for the First Quarter of 2024
Violent crime is dropping at record levels in America. It's good news for our families and our communities. Today the FBI released preliminary data collected from over 11,000 law enforcement agencies around the country showing that, in the first quarter of this year, murders decreased by 26 percent, robberies by almost 18 percent, and violent crime overall by 15 percent. These large decreases follow major reductions in crime in nearly every category in 2023, including one of the lowest rates for all violent crime in 50 years and significant declines in murder.
This progress we're seeing is no accident. My administration is putting more cops on the beat, holding violent criminals accountable, and getting illegal guns off the street, and we are doing it in partnership with communities. As a result, Americans are safer today than when I took office.
After we saw the largest increase in murders ever recorded during the previous administration, my administration got to work protecting the American people. My America Rescue Plan—which every Republican voted against—delivered $15 billion to cities to hire and retain more cops and keep communities safe. I took on the gun lobby and signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, the most significant gun violence legislation in nearly 30 years. But there is more to do. I will continue fighting for funding for 100,000 additional police officers, and crime prevention and community violence intervention programs. Every American deserves to feel safe in their community, which is why I will continue to invest in public safety.
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Statement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation Quarterly Uniform Crime Report for the First Quarter of 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/372764