According to the FBI's annual crime report released on Monday, violent crime across the United States decreased last year to about the same level as before the COVID-19 pandemic, while property crimes saw a substantial rise. The report, however, comes with a caveat as some law enforcement agencies failed to provide data. Nonetheless, a change in collection methods in compiling the 2022 numbers helped, and the FBI stated that the new data represents 83.3% of all agencies covering 93.5% of the population. In contrast, last year's numbers were only from 62.7% of agencies, representing 64.8% of Americans.

Violent crime dropped by 1.7% overall, including a 6.1% decrease in murder and non-negligent manslaughter. Rape decreased by 5.4%, and aggravated assault dropped by 1.1%. However, robbery increased by 1.3%. This is a significant change from 2020 when the murder rate in the U.S. jumped 29% during the pandemic, causing social disruption and upending support systems. The violent crime rate of 380.7 per 100,000 people in 2022 was slightly better than in 2019, which had a rate of 380.8 per 100,000 people. Richard Rosenfeld, a criminal justice professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, attributed the drop in violence to the abatement of the "stresses and strains" associated with the pandemic. He stated that the decrease signifies a return to something resembling normalcy after the major changes brought about by the pandemic.

While violent crime saw a decrease, property crimes increased by 7.1%, with motor vehicle thefts showing the most significant rise at 10.9%. The FBI reported an 8.1% increase in carjackings from 2021, with the majority involving an assailant with a weapon. More than a quarter of all carjackings resulted in injuries. Rachael Eisenberg, the managing director of rights and justice for the Center for American Progress, based in Washington, D.C., stated that recent statistics indicate the drop in violent crime will continue throughout this year. The FBI's findings align with a report released in July by the nonpartisan think tank, the Council on Criminal Justice, which found that murders dropped by 9.4% in the first half of 2023 compared to the first half of 2022, while vehicle thefts rose by a significant 33.5%.

Last year's FBI report faced criticism as nearly two-fifths of all policing agencies, including major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, failed to participate. This followed a major overhaul in the reporting system. For this year's report, the FBI used data voluntarily collected from agencies utilizing the newer National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), but also included data from agencies still using the older Summary Reporting System (SRS). This accounted, in part, for the significant increase in participating agencies. Federal officials stated that although the switchover to the new reporting system may be complicated for police departments, it will eventually result in more modern and detailed crime data. In addition to the inclusion of Summary Reporting System data, the FBI noted that an additional 1,499 agencies submitted data through NIBRS.

The 2022 report revealed that while the number of adult victims of fatal gun violence decreased by 6.6%, the estimated number of juvenile victims rose by 11.8%. Gun-safety advocates expressed concerns about the loosening of gun laws, especially in conservative-leaning states across the U.S. Assaults on law enforcement officers also rose by 1.8% compared to 2021. Out of the estimated 102,100 assaults, 31,400 resulted in injuries in 2022, marking a 1.7% increase from the previous year.

Although violent crime remains far lower than the historic highs of the 1990s, Rosenfeld cautioned that the indirect impacts of the pandemic could still lead to more crime. The shift towards remote work prompted by the pandemic resulted in desolate city streets, which make crime more likely. Rosenfeld explained that "the more people in the street, the more difficult it is for somebody to commit a crime because there are so many eyes on the street."

In conclusion, the FBI's annual crime report for 2022 showed a decrease in violent crime to pre-pandemic levels but highlighted a substantial increase in property crimes, particularly motor vehicle thefts. The report, which represents a larger percentage of law enforcement agencies compared to the previous year, revealed a decrease in murder, rape, and aggravated assault, but an increase in robbery. While the drop in violence can be attributed to the abatement of pandemic-related stress, experts warn that the indirect consequences of the pandemic, such as remote work and desolate streets, could potentially lead to an increase in crime. Gun-safety advocates expressed concerns over the rise in juvenile victims and assaults on law enforcement officers. Overall, violent crime remains significantly lower than the levels seen in the 1990s.