Violent crime in US drops again as election nears

WASHINGTON: Rates of violent crime in the United States fell last year, according to annual Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) statistics released on Monday, contradicting Donald Trump on a key election issue.

Contributing to a three percent reduction overall, the report showed a nationwide 11.6 percent decrease in murder, a 9.4 percent drop in rape and a 2.8 percent fall in aggravated assault. Attacks on property fell by an estimated 2.4 percent, but in one notable exception, vehicle theft, which is included in the category, cases jumped 12.6 percent.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running neck-and-neck with Republican candidate Trump in the November election, quickly welcomed the fall in violent crime. “Today´s new data submitted to the FBI confirms that our dedicated efforts and collaborative partnerships with law enforcement are working,” she said, citing more support for local authorities, crime prevention and gun control efforts.

“Violent crime is at a near 50-year low. While we have made great progress, we are not stopping now,” she added. On the campaign trail, Trump often invokes what he calls a wave of violent crime sweeping the country and blames it on immigrants.