A report from the FBI reportedly shows that the four largest American cities with the lowest violent crime rates are located in border states: San Diego, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and El Paso and Austin, TX.

 

In Arizona, home of the much-debated state immigration law, violent crime rates fell markedly from 2002 to 2008, by 19.5%, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Nationally, the rate dropped 7.9%.

 

Also, a Customs and Border Protection study obtained by the Associated Press revealed only 3% of Border Patrol agents and officers were assaulted in 2009—compared to 11% for police officers and sheriff’s deputies in the country as a whole. In fact, last year marked the first time in seven years that violent attacks against border patrol agents declined. This year, assaults are up slightly so far.

 

“The border is safer now than it’s ever been,” Customs and Border Protection spokesman Lloyd Easterling told the Associated Press.

 

But that hasn’t stopped Democrats and Republicans in Congress who represent districts near the border from making alarmist claims. “Violence in the vicinity of the U.S.-Mexico border continues to increase at an alarming rate. We believe that this violence represents a serious threat to the national security of the United States as well as a serious threat to U.S. citizens that live along the 1,969-mile long border,” wrote a dozen lawmakers in a letter to President Barack Obama.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Despite Calls for More Troops, Data Shows US-Mexico Border Is Actually Pretty Safe (by Martha Mendoza, Associated Press)

Crime, Immigration Connection Unclear, Justice Dept Statistics Suggest (by Bryant Furlow, New Mexican Independent)