Disturbing statistics released from the FBI yesterday show that violent crime in the greater St. Louis area increased more rapidly than it did across the country
September 27, 2016
St. Louis Violent Crime Rising Faster Than National Numbers
Disturbing statistics released from the FBI yesterday show that violent crime in the greater St. Louis area increased more rapidly than it did across the country. From The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s report on the troubling numbers:
Assembled statistics for the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the city and 14 surrounding counties in Missouri and Illinois, show that 13,560 violent crimes were reported in the region in 2015, an increase of 14.8 percent from 2014. There were 294 murders reported in 2015, or 20 percent more than in 2014.
The FBI said violent crime rose nationwide 3.9 percent in 2015 and the number of murders was up 10.8 percent. It said violent crime nationwide in 2015 was 6.9 percent less than in 2010 and down 16.2 percent since 2005.
Clearly, something is not working in St. Louis when violent crime in the greater metropolitan region rose nearly 15% last year, but only rose 4% across the country. St. Louis needs to be a nationwide leader in preventing violent crime and keeping citizens safe. That will only happen through strong law enforcement from our leaders in Jefferson City and the local community stepping up to put an end to this kind of behavior.