Rising crime rates in the U.S. hot topic in first 2016 Presidential Debate

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Are crime rates rising? Spoiler alert: Yes they are.

This heated political season, with hotly debated topics like stop and frisk” target=”_blank”>stop and frisk and gun rights, crime rates front are center.

Last night the first 2016 Presidential Campaign between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump saw a fiery exchange over how to address rising crime in cities like President Obama’s hometown Chicago.

What trends did the FBI see in crime growth and decline in 2015?

The FBI just released its annual report that reflects all the criminal activity reported by law enforcement to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The results are staggering. All the crime compiled together paints a bleak picture when it’s spelled out in numbers.

According to the report, 2015 sees a 3.9% increase in violent crime. Now that doesn’t seem too terribly bad until you scan down to the part where it says the total number of violent crimes in the United States in 2015 is 1,197,704. Yes, you read that right. ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FOUR violent crimes committed in ONE year alone.

5 Crime Facts from the 2015 FBI Annual Report

via FBI (1)

1. The estimated number of murders in the nation was 15,696.
2. During the year, there were an estimated 90,185 rapes. (This figure currently reflects UCR’s legacy definition. Learn more about the revised rape definition.)
3. There were an estimated 327,374 robberies nationwide, which accounted for an estimated $390 million in losses (average dollar value of stolen property per reported robbery was $1,190).
4. Firearms were used in 71.5 percent of the nation’s murders, 40.8 percent of robberies, and 24.2 percent of aggravated assaults.
5. Property crimes resulted in losses estimated at $14.3 billion. The total value of reported stolen property (i.e., currency, jewelry, motor vehicles, electronics, firearms) was $12,420,364,454.

How do the 2016 Presidential Candidates feel about gun laws and crime rates in the U.S.?

HillaryClinton.com has this quote front and center on her website under Issues / Justice and Equality / Gun Violence Prevention:
“I believe weapons of war have no place on our streets. We may have our disagreements on gun safety regulations, but we should all be able to agree on a few things. If the FBI is watching you for suspected terrorist links, you shouldn’t be able to just go buy a gun with no questions asked. You shouldn’t be able to exploit loopholes and evade criminal background checks by buying online or at a gun show. And yes, if you’re too dangerous to get on a plane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America.”
–Hillary Clinton, June 13, 2016 (2)

DonaldJTrump.com has this as his policy on crime under Positions / Constitution and Second Amendment:

• Enforce the laws on the books. We need to get serious about prosecuting violent criminals.

• Expand and bring back programs like Project Exile and get gang members and drug dealers off the street. When we do, crime will go down and our cities and communities will be safer places to live.

• Empower law-abiding gun owners to defend themselves. Law enforcement does a tremendous job, but they can’t be everywhere all of the time.

–Donald J Trump, website (3)