Plain English with Derek Thompson

Why Are the Police So Bad at Solving Murders?

Jul 6, 2022

Jeff Asher, a crime analyst and co-founder of AH Datalytics, dives into the alarming drop in murder clearance rates in the U.S., where nearly half of all murders go unsolved today. He discusses the stark contrasts with the 1960s, the complexities of modern evidence standards, and the ethical challenges police face. The conversation also highlights the racial disparities in solving murders, particularly those involving Black victims, and how technology impacts these investigations. Asher offers crucial insights into the systemic issues plaguing law enforcement.

49:25

Episode guests

Jeff Asher

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Crisis in Murder Clearance Rates

23min

Raising the Bar: The Impact of Higher Evidence Standards on Homicide Investigations

4min

Examining Clearance Rates and Ethical Standards in Law Enforcement

2min

Racism in the Criminal Justice System

10min

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology in Homicide Cases

6min

Today’s episode is about the story of the moment—gun violence. There’s been a surge of violent shootings, mass shootings, and gun-related murders in the last few years. Today, Derek investigates a mystery behind this surge of violence: Why are the police so bad at solving murders? According to FBI statistics, in the 1960s nearly 100 percent of all murders were "cleared" by police, typically by arrest. In 2020, the clearance rate hit an all-time low of nearly 50 percent. Today, half of the murders in the United States go unsolved. Why? Today’s guest is Jeff Asher, a crime analyst, writer, and cofounder of AH Datalytics, which analyzes data for local government agencies like police departments. We talk about seven possible explanations for this alarming trend before settling on one particular explanation that's probably the most important.

Host: Derek Thompson

Guest: Jeff Asher

Producer: Devon Manze

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