In 2022, new information collected by the FBI reveals that Maine has the lowest rate of violent crimes in the entire country. Violent crimes include actions like assault and murder. The data from 2022 showed that there were 103.3 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Maine. This is an improvement from 2021 when the rate was 112.9.
Comparing this to the national average, Maine’s rate is significantly lower. On average, the United States has three times more violent crimes, with 380.7 per 100,000 people.
Sheriff William King from York County acknowledges the positive aspect of these statistics but also recognizes that there is still work to be done. He emphasizes the connection between crimes and drug issues, especially those related to opioid addiction. Sheriff King believes that addressing drug problems can contribute to further reducing violent crime rates in Maine.
However, when it comes to hate crimes, Maine faces challenges. Hate crime rates have remained high, especially since a spike in 2020. In 2022, Maine reported 81 hate crimes, slightly higher than the 75 reported in 2021 but lower than the 84 reported in 2020.
Breaking down the 2022 hate crime stats, 23 of them were specifically anti-black hate crimes, indicating crimes motivated by racism. Sixty out of the 81 hate crimes were committed by white individuals.
Michael Lieberman, the Senior Policy Counsel of Hate & Extremism with the Southern Poverty Law Center, points out that even though there was a decrease in the number of law enforcement agencies reporting hate crimes in 2022, the overall nationwide number remained high. Around 3,000 agencies did not report hate crimes to the FBI out of the 18,000 that typically report, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the extent of hate crimes in America.
