The Justice Department has released a statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland regarding the FBI’s Quarterly Uniform Crime Report, which indicates a decrease in violent and property crime in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.
“This data makes clear that last year’s historic decline in violent crime is continuing. In the first three months of this year, violent crime has decreased by over 15 percent compared to the same period last year, and murder has decreased by over 26 percent," Garland stated. "This continued historic decline in homicides does not represent abstract statistics. It represents people whose lives were saved — people who are still here to see their children grow up, to work toward fulfilling their dreams, and to contribute to their communities."
Garland reflected on his tenure as Attorney General, noting that addressing the surge in violent crime early in the pandemic was anticipated as one of the Justice Department's greatest challenges. “That is why we have poured every available resource into working with our law enforcement and community partners to drive down violent crime,” he said.
He emphasized that despite recent progress, much work remains. “We know there is so much more work to do, and that the progress we have seen can still easily slip away,” Garland added. The department plans to continue deploying technological and prosecutorial resources to identify and prosecute key drivers of gun violence, invest in programs enabling police departments to hire more officers, build public trust essential for safety, and support evidence-based community violence intervention initiatives.
“Our work will not be done until all Americans feel safe in their communities,” Garland concluded.