The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer is a welcome addition to the crime statistics enterprise. But one won’t be in the system very long before he realizes that authorities in numerous states are withholding data. One might want to learn about the demographics of homicide for big cities like Los Angeles or New York City. These data are missing. And if one is curious about crime in 2023, the FBI has not published any of those data.
Several cities are sharing some crime data for 2022, however, so I can show readers the demographics of homicide for select cities. Homicide statistics for Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit suggest a reason why authorities are reluctant to report out their crime data: the overrepresentation of black men in the most serious violent crime, namely homicide, represents an indictment of progressive urban policy.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee police reported 214 homicides at the hands of 179 perpetrators in 2022. Eighty-six percent of homicide victims in that city were black. Eighty percent of perpetrators were black. Approximately 77 percent of victims and 83 percent of perpetrators were male where the sex of either could be determined. Less than 39 percent of Milwaukee’s population is black. Black males in Milwaukee are drastically overrepresented among murderers and murder victims.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
There were 512 homicides at the hands of 319 perpetrators in 2022 in Philadelphia, as reported by the city police. Seventy-nine percent of homicide victims in that city were black. Eighty percent of perpetrators were black. Around 88 percent of victims and 89 percent perpetrators were male where the sex of either had been confirmed. Blacks are less than 40 percent of Philadelphia’s population. As with Milwaukee, black males are drastically overrepresented among murderers and murder victims in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh did not release demographic data for 2022.
Baltimore, Maryland
There were 287 homicides at the hands of 59 identified perpetrators in 2022 in Baltimore, as recorded by city police. Ninety percent of homicide victims in that city were black. Eighty-three percent of perpetrators were black. More than 90 percent of victims and perpetrators were male where the sex of either has been confirmed. Black males are drastically overrepresented among murderers and murder victims. Around 62 percent of Baltimore is black, so here the racial disproportionately is a less in this case than in the previous cases, but it’s still significant.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago police reported 604 homicides at the hands of 437 perpetrators in 2022. Ninety percent of homicide victims and 83 percent of perpetuators in that city were black. Approximately 86 percent of victims and 70 percent of perpetrators were male where the sex of either had been confirmed (in around a quarter of cases, the perpetrator’s sex was unknown). Around 29 percent percent of Chicago’s population is black. Black males are drastically overrepresented among murderers and murder victims.
Detroit, Michigan
There were 308 homicides at the hands of 276 perpetrators in 2022 in Detroit, as recorded by city police. Ninety percent of homicide victims and 96 percent of perpetuators in that city were black. Approximately 83 percent of victims and perpetrators were male where the sex of either had been confirmed. Around 78 percent percent of Detroit’s population is black, so here the racial disproportionately is a less in the case than in the cases of Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Chicago. However, like Baltimore, it is still obvious.
Again, statistics for Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit suggest a reason why authorities are reluctant to report out their crime data: the overrepresentation of black men in the most serious violent crime, namely homicide, indict progressive urban policy. With November rapidly approaching, Democrats are dragging their feet and appealing to antiracist principle to avoid drawing attention to the overrepresentation of black men in homicide. (They are doing the same with violence perpetrated by criminal aliens.) Progressive policies make America less safe for everybody, but especially for black men.
freedom and reason 