Outer Banks Times

U.S. Representative Greg Murphy has criticized a report by NBC News, which cited FBI data to suggest a decrease in crime rates across the United States. Murphy expressed skepticism about the media's portrayal of real-world data and questioned the validity of the report's findings.

In a series of statements, Murphy said, "Again losing any semblance of reality when reporting, @NBCNews says crime is not rising". He further queried, "What are y’all smoking?" and challenged anyone to "Come to ANY major city, esp DC for a chance to get shot or carjacked". The Congressman concluded his remarks by accusing NBC News of "working shamelessly for the Democratic Party."

According to Kevin Dilanian, an NBC News reporter, FBI statistics indicate a decline in crime rates throughout the U.S. this year. This led him to question the perception held by 77 percent of Americans who believe crime is on the rise. Dilanian suggested that these perceptions could be influenced by social media and news conditioning.

Murphy's comment | X

A Fox News report highlighted that government employees in San Francisco have chosen remote work to minimize their risk of falling victim to crime. It also noted that restaurant and small business owners in cities such as Washington D.C., Chicago, and Oakland are shutting down due to clients avoiding high-crime areas. Furthermore, major retailers have cited significant theft losses as reasons for recent store closures in urban regions.

Another Fox News report pointed out Target's recent announcement regarding upcoming store closures due to an increase in theft and violence. This has raised concerns among loss prevention experts about wider implications. The stores affected are located in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, and New York City. The National Retail Federation's annual National Security Survey reports an uptick in retail theft and violence with an increase in the average shrink rate from 1.4% in 2021 to 1.6% in 2022 resulting in $112.1 billion in lost sales for the year.

A Fox News report from August reviewed San Francisco police data, revealing a 20.7% increase in homicides since the start of the year. It also noted a 14% rise in robberies and a 13% increase in motor vehicle theft.