Are aggregate crime stats still reliable for public safety?
I've been analyzing crime statistics for a local news site, and the numbers in our city are telling a more complex story than the headlines suggest. While overall crime is down 12% since 2019, property crime in certain neighborhoods has jumped, and I wonder if the official stats are missing what residents actually experience. Are aggregated statistics still the most reliable way to understand public safety, or should we prioritize localized data that might challenge the big picture?