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American crime largely remained steady in 2021, according to the FBI’s analysis of crime data submitted by local law enforcement agencies across the United States.
The annual report provides a snapshot of crime in jurisdictions across the nation. “The overall message is that crime remained consistent,” the FBI wrote in a press release announcing Wednesday’s data dump.
Not so in Portland, however, where the number of violent crimes increased 38%. These include homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults, all of which happened more often in 2021 than the previous year. So did property crime, which rose 17%.
The city set an all-time record for homicides in 2021, though the murder rate per capita remained below its 1987 level. For several years, Portland has been a particularly dangerous place for its Black residents, as WW has previously reported. And several high-profile murders and assaults have increased scrutiny on Multnomah County’s criminal justice system.
Related: This week, prosecutors uncovered new evidence that could have kept accused murderer off streets.
One key caveat: The nationwide analysis this year did not include data from many of the country’s largest cities, including both Los Angeles and New York, due to methodological changes. Nearly 40% of jurisdictions did not submit data.