Murders surged by 30% in the United States in 2020, the largest single-year increase on record – and possibly the largest in U.S. history. The 2020 homicide figures were released in an annual FBI report, which compiles state and local crime data from across the country and helps to identify trends and inform policy decisions. (Here is a look at the worst year for murder in every state.)
Whether or not rising incidents of deadly violence continued into 2021 remains something of an open question, however. On the heels of the deadliest year in the U.S. in over two decades, the FBI overhauled the way in which it collects and compiles crime statistics. Beginning in 2021, the FBI no longer accepted data submitted through its legacy Summary Reporting System, and instead required state and local police departments to implement the new, more comprehensive, National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS.
The transition has not gone smoothly. Due in large part to the changeover, about 40% of law enforcement agencies nationwide did not submit 2021 crime data. While a number of states, including Connecticut, Delaware, and Vermont, had near universal compliance, many others did not.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed 2021 NIBRS participation data to identify the states that do not report crime to the FBI. In each of the 21 states on this list, at least a third of law enforcement agencies did not submit crime data to the FBI in 2021.
Before the shift to the new reporting system, over 50% of law enforcement agencies reported crime data to the FBI in 46 of the 50 states. In 2021, 11 states had participation rates below 50% – including four states with less than 10% participation. (Here is a look at the largest police force in every state.)
Many of the states with the lowest participation rates are also among the most populous, including California, Florida, and New York. Reporting lapses in these places have left considerable gaps in our understanding of broad national crime trends. Due to low participation, critical measures such as the homicide rate and the overall violent crime rate are missing in nine of the states on this list.
Click here to see states that don’t report crime to the FBI.
21. Wisconsin
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 66.5% (324 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 487
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 90.3% – 23rd lowest (5,425,335 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 87.5% – 5th highest (427 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 282 per 100,000 people (16,638 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 323 per 100,000 people (18,861 total)
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20. North Carolina
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 64.5% (387 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 600
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 93.1% – 25th highest (9,859,219 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 46.8% – 3rd lowest (378 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 323 per 100,000 people (34,083 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 419 per 100,000 people (44,451 total)
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19. Ohio
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 64.4% (597 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 927
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 88.6% – 22nd lowest (10,537,568 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 66.1% – 13th lowest (613 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 288 per 100,000 people (33,886 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 309 per 100,000 people (36,104 total)
18. Alaska
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 60.0% (30 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 50
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 54.6% – 8th lowest (402,557 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 64.0% – 12th lowest (32 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 451 per 100,000 people (3,304 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 838 per 100,000 people (6,126 total)
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17. South Dakota
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 58.8% (110 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 187
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 88.1% – 21st lowest (824,054 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 68.4% – 14th lowest (128 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 357 per 100,000 people (3,192 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 501 per 100,000 people (4,476 total)
16. Wyoming
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 56.0% (47 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 84
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 76.2% – 16th lowest (450,309 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 70.2% – 19th lowest (59 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 215 per 100,000 people (1,244 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 234 per 100,000 people (1,364 total)
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15. Georgia
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 55.9% (447 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 800
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 78.6% – 18th lowest (8,709,490 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 49.0% – 4th lowest (399 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 306 per 100,000 people (33,058 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 400 per 100,000 people (42,850 total)
14. Arizona
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 53.4% (79 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 148
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 54.2% – 7th lowest (3,949,562 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 70.0% – 16th lowest (105 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 218 per 100,000 people (15,885 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 485 per 100,000 people (35,980 total)
13. Indiana
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 52.7% (192 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 364
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 77.1% – 17th lowest (5,254,193 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 45.9% – 2nd lowest (205 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 272 per 100,000 people (18,527 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 358 per 100,000 people (24,161 total)
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12. West Virginia
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 52.4% (247 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 471
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 87.7% – 20th lowest (1,575,083 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 52.5% – 6th lowest (251 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 316 per 100,000 people (5,636 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 356 per 100,000 people (6,352 total)
11. Mississippi
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 48.9% (137 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 280
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 56.7% – 9th lowest (1,673,199 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 41.4% – the lowest (113 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 202 per 100,000 people (5,952 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 291 per 100,000 people (8,638 total)
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10. Louisiana
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 43.6% (136 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 312
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 70.9% – 12th lowest (3,321,430 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 59.9% – 9th lowest (187 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: 564 per 100,000 people (26,078 total)
> Violent crimes in 2020: 639 per 100,000 people (29,704 total)
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9. Hawaii
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 40.0% (02 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 05
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 73.5% – 14th lowest (1,059,012 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 60.0% – 10th lowest (03 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 254 per 100,000 people (3,576 total)
8. Illinois
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 30.6% (328 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 1,071
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 61.6% – 11th lowest (7,845,636 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 61.9% – 11th lowest (667 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 426 per 100,000 people (53,612 total)
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7. New Mexico
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 29.0% (42 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 145
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 60.6% – 10th lowest (1,285,483 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 83.4% – 10th highest (121 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 778 per 100,000 people (16,393 total)
6. New Jersey
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 28.7% (177 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 617
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 41.2% – 5th lowest (3,844,336 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 90.2% – 2nd highest (577 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 195 per 100,000 people (17,353 total)
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5. New York
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 13.8% (124 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 899
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 17.1% – 4th lowest (3,719,239 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 56.9% – 8th lowest (563 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 364 per 100,000 people (70,339 total)
4. Maryland
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 9.5% (18 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 189
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 45.6% – 6th lowest (2,902,491 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 70.4% – 20th lowest (152 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 400 per 100,000 people (24,215 total)
3. Pennsylvania
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 2.2% (40 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 1,855
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 15.8% – 3rd lowest (2,173,050 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 50.4% – 5th lowest (945 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 390 per 100,000 people (49,793 total)
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2. California
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 1.9% (15 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 801
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 7.3% – 2nd lowest (2,861,998 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 82.1% – 12th highest (732 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 442 per 100,000 people (174,026 total)
1. Florida
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2021 crime data: 0.2% (02 total)
> Total law enforcement agencies in state, 2021: 827
> Population in jurisdictions of participating agencies, 2021: 0.0% – the lowest (00 people)
> Law enforcement agencies submitting 2020 crime data: 81.0% – 14th highest (675 total)
> Violent crimes in 2021: Not available
> Violent crimes in 2020: 384 per 100,000 people (83,368 total)
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