As crime decreases in Durham, it climbs in Raleigh

While violent and property crimes dropped in Durham last year, numbers rose in Raleigh, according to newly released FBI data.

Why it matters: Republicans seek to make crime — an issue where polls show voters favor the GOP — a major issue before the midterms, Axios' Russ Contreras writes.

• It's taking center stage in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, as Republican Congressman Ted Budd attempts to paint former state Supreme Court chief justice Cheri Beasley as "soft on crime."
• It's also a central issue in state legislative races across the state, as Republicans attempt to win a supermajority in the legislature, which would give them enough votes to pass legislation and override Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper's veto.

The big picture: Multiple high profile murders or shootings made headlines in both Raleigh and Durham in recent months. While the data just released does not include 2022, it gives us a better sense of what’s been happening with violent crime in the Triangle beyond anecdotal evidence.

Be smart: Media headlines aren't the best way to gauge whether crime is up or down in your city.

By the numbers: In Raleigh violent crime increased by 18% between 2020 and 2021.

• In Durham, violent crime decreased by nearly 12%.
• Yes, but: The number of violent crimes reported in both cities in 2021 is just over 2,000.

Worth noting: Just over half of law enforcement agencies reported this data to the FBI, including Raleigh and Durham.

• Nearly 40% of law enforcement agencies nationwide, including the New York City Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department, failed to report their 2021 crime data to the FBI, according to data provided to Axios Local from a partnership with The Marshall Project.

Related: FBI says U.S. violent crimes decreased in 2021, but data is missing

• Explore the data