Who Commits the Most Crime in America? (The Data Might Surprise You)

 This episode breaks down FBI arrest data to explain what those numbers actually measure — and what they don’t. We compare raw arrest totals with per-capita rates, unpack how policing and enforcement patterns influence crime statistics, and examine how media narratives shape public perception.

👇 Drop your answer in the comments: Who do you think commits the most crime — and why?

Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Question On Crime
• 0:37 FBI Arrest Numbers Explained
• 1:15 Rates Versus Totals Clarified
• 2:06 Limits Of Arrest Data
• 2:17 Intraracial Crime Context
• 2:33 Media Bias And Perception
• 3:18 Audience Challenge And CTA
• 3:43 Subscribe And Follow Details
• 4:22 Phone Line And Final Prompt

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

And now in tune to the sound of the Only One Might Podcast, I'm your host, Carl Gerrod. Let's open up this conversation with a question. Who do you think commits the most crime in the United States? All right, really think about this point. Because most people believe they have an answer, and most didn't get it from looking at the actual data. They got it from headlines, social media, and gut reactions. Now let's look at some of the real numbers from the most recent FBI crime data. In 2024, of all violent crime arrests in the United States, about 49.7% were of people identified as white. 46% were of people identified as black or African American. 2.2 were Asian, 1.8 were American Indians and Alaska Natives, and 0.3 were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders, and this is according to FBI arrest statistics. Those numbers show raw totals, meaning absolute counts of arrests, not rates per person. And here's the key nuance. If you measure by population rate per 100,000 people, the story can look very different. For example, research on violent crime like aggravated assault shows that white individuals accounted for the majority of arrests in raw numbers, and that was about 61.4%. But when adjusted per population, black or African American individuals have significantly higher arrest rates per 100,000 people compared to white individuals, and that's by way of global statistics. So let me ask you a deeper question. When someone says something like, you know, uh this group commits more crime, do they mean more total incidents, more arrests, more per 100,000 people? Because those are three different measurements. And if we go further, arrests don't necessarily mean crimes were committed. They reflect where police are patrolling, who they stop, who gets charged, and law enforcement priorities. And one part almost nobody talks about, most violent crime happens between people of the same race. That means people are generally harmed by someone who lives in their community and looks like them, not some monolithic other group. So instead of trying to like answer a question of who does the most crime as a racial competition, maybe the real question is why do we frame crime as a racial scoreboard instead of a social problem? And this isn't about defending anybody, it's about understanding how data works and why numbers without context can mislead. And also, we also know that through media, um, the bias that's involved in media will focus on people of color more than it would, you know, our white counterparts or any other minorities. Well, I can't even say any other minorities because there are a lot of others that are getting flaked, but you know, African Americans get it the hardest in terms of how we're portrayed in media. So who do you think commits the most crime in the U.S.? And more importantly, why do you think that? Drop it in the comments y'all. Call in whether you agree or disagree. Again, I always say I'm not here to tell you what to think, I'm just laying out the laying out what's here. So if you disagree, if you have more information to add on to this, I would love to hear from you. Because, you know, truth doesn't come from silence, it comes from conversations like these guys. The only one mic podcast is available on every platform you stream your podcast on. Hit that subscribe, rate the show, and don't forget to check out our YouTube channel for past and current episodes. Follow us on Instagram and X at the Only One Mic P1, Facebook and LinkedIn at the Only One Mic Podcast, and email us at the only one mic zero zero at gmail.com. You can call us too and leave your comments on this particular topic at 302-367-7219. Your comment could actually make it on the show, folks, but we appreciate you as always. And again, tap in on this. Who do you think commits the most crime in the U.S.? Do you think these statistics are false? Do you think that, you know, some of the FBI is fudging these things? I don't know, guys. But I do, you know, reach out to you for your opinion on this. The only one Mike Podcast on and off, peace.