by Ryan McMaken
Mises.org
The FBI released new crime statistics for 2015 yesterday, and they show homicides up ten percent from 2014 to 2015. During 2015, there were 4.9 homicides per 100,000 population. This was up from the 2014 revised rate of 4.4 per 100,000.
Much of the media has breathlessly reported the news as if an indication of some new trend. The left is reporting it as if it’s proof of too little gun control, while the right is reporting the news as evidence of too many immigrants. Trump, of course has made homicides by immigrants a staple in many of his speeches.
In fact, the increase in homicides is driven by a small number of specific metropolitan areas and neighborhoods. Most homicides are committed by native-born Americans. The vast majority of Americans have likely never been safer from homicide.
But first, let’s look at the nationwide trend. The increase from 2014 to 2015 is clear in the graph: