Code Switch Americans are worried about crime. Here’s how politicians leverage it
Jan 31, 2026
Meg Anderson, NPR national desk correspondent covering criminal justice, discusses how fears about crime persist despite long-term declines. She explores how disorder and high-profile cases shape public panic. She recounts intense reporting from Minneapolis and explains how crime rhetoric is used to justify heavy-handed policies and federal actions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Personal Memory Versus Crime Data
- Gene Demby recounts a conversation in Philly where a friend said it felt far more dangerous now than in their youth.
- He contrasts that feeling with data showing crime peaked in the 1990s and has since fallen about 50 percent.
Perception And Reality Are Diverging
- Public perception of crime has trended opposite actual crime rates for decades, with Americans thinking crime rises even as it falls.
- Gene frames this as two diverging lines: perceived crime rising and actual crime declining.
Disorder Gets Labeled As Crime
- People often label visible disorder (homelessness, litter, loud teens) as 'crime' and demand criminal-justice fixes.
- That conflation drives support for punitive policies even when actual crime is low.