As officials tout crime drops, many violent crimes go unreported

From Baltimore to Los Angeles, mayors and police chiefs have been touting steep declines in crime, particularly drops in homicides, but “the picture is way more complex,” said Jillian Snider, an adjunct lecturer at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and a former New York City police officer.

“While city officials and law enforcement can boast about reported crime declining, they fail to mention that more and more victims are choosing not to report crimes…”

‘Why would I bother to report it?’

People don’t report crimes for an array of reasons.

Many property crime victims feel it’s not worth taking the time to make a report if they believe the chances police will find the culprit and retrieve their property are low, Snider said. For example, if their home is broken into, and nothing of great value is taken, some people may not report the crime, particularly if there’s no video showing the thief, she said.

When it comes to assaults, many domestic violence victims choose not to make a report because their abusive partner supports the family financially, Snider said.

“When I worked for the NYPD, I went to several hundred calls where there were signs of physical abuse, and the woman said she wasn’t pressing charges,” Snider said. “Without a victim, I can’t make a report. I’d make a note in my memobook and be on my way…”

Historically, rapes and sexual assaults haven’t been reported at high rates because many victims believe they will be victim-shamed, they don’t want to undergo an invasive rape exam, and they want to avoid reliving the attack, Snider said.