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A retired NYPD homicide detective shared with Fox News Digital that the cultural and policy changes starting in 2020, like bail reform and reactions to George Floyd’s case, are now impacting the low clearance rates of homicide cases nationwide.
Data from the Murder Accountability Project, which focuses on unsolved homicides, shows that in 2022, homicide case clearance rates—when a suspect is identified, apprehended, and charges are filed—dropped to a record low of 52.3%. Before 2020, these rates were consistently above 60%, as indicated by FBI data referenced by the organization.
“So there was a seismic change in law enforcement in 2020,” Teresa Leto told Fox News Digital.
NYPD officers quickly arrived on-site following a shooting incident that wounded several people in Brooklyn’s Flatbush area on April 6, 2021, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Detective Leto explained, “Bail procedures have been eased, making it less necessary for many to post bail due to financial constraints. Additionally, certain offenses are now labeled nonviolent. For instance, third-degree robbery, which involves forcefully taking someone’s property, is categorized as nonviolent.”
When violent offenders are let out on bail, they go right back to committing crimes, possibly even escalating their levels of violence.
“So, that all added to the fact that less cases are being handled, and less cases are being cleared,” Leto said.
Washington Metropolitan Police officers look into a shooting at the Potomac Avenue Metro Station in Southeast Washington, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
