Stealth edits by the FBI concerning crime statistics should come as no surprise because the agency "lies every time they come out with anything," former Milwaukee sheriff and Newsmax contributor David Clarke said Sunday.
"They can't be trusted," he said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend." "You shouldn't lie to the American people about crime rates because it confuses people and it gives them this false sense of security when they say crime is only up X percent, X percentage or Y percentage."
Crime, he added, is happening all over the place.
"It's spreading and you don't want to unnecessarily alarm people, but you don't want to lie to them either," said Clarke.
His comments come after a report earlier this year that the FBI revised 2022 crime data to show violent crime increased by 4.5%, which includes thousands more murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults than had originally been reported.
Increased crime rates are on display in places like New York City, including with last week's attack on a woman who was set on fire and killed while she was riding on a New York subway.
Clarke accused New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams of not knowing what they are doing.
"They don't have an effective deployment strategy," he said. "That's a huge part of the problem. Their strategy is to hold a news conference, look in the camera, and lie to people about how safe it is."
New York's subway system is safe, Clarke added, "if you don't use it."
"But for the people who have to use it on a daily basis, it's not," he said. "No user of the subway system should ever go down into that, should either board or get off a subway car without seeing a uniformed officer."
Officers should also be on patrol and riding the subway, "not gathering after a heinous incident," Clarke said.
"This is why Daniel Penny had to step in and why a woman was set on fire," said Clarke. "And you notice the perp stood outside and watched. You know what he wasn't afraid of? He wasn't afraid of a cop in the area."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE – See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.