NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of murders across the United States declined sharply for much of 2024, continuing a recent downward trend, according to data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), cities and independent researchers.
Murders spiked during the pandemic, and crime became a central focus of President-elect Donald Trump's campaign message. Polls showed Americans still see it as a major problem. And "several high-profile homicides this year, including the recent killing of a homeless woman who was set on fire in a New York subway, may fan concerns," reported The New York Times on Monday about the data.
In 2023, the number of murders fell at the steepest rate ever recorded, according to the FBI's data.
That trend may be continuing, according to data from a mix of sources covering most or part of 2024. In some major cities, the numbers are at or below what they were before the pandemic.
Through October, data collected by the Real-Time Crime Index, based on reports from hundreds of law enforcement agencies, showed a nearly 16 percent decline in murders from 2023.
