Someone murdered Raymel Atkins in Louisville, Ky., in 2023. More than a year later, his mother and sister don\u2019t know who did it; the police have not made an arrest in the case. The same is true for Tiffanie Floyd, killed in 2021. And Michael David, killed in 2017. And Cory Crowe, killed in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, the Louisville police do not arrest anyone in roughly half of murder cases. I spoke to family members of a dozen victims. They all conveyed a similar sentiment: that the police had abandoned them and theirs. \u201cThe police don\u2019t really care,\u201d said Deondra Kimble, David\u2019s aunt. \u201cThey\u2019ve proven it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Louisville\u2019s police department acknowledges serious problems; it says it is about 300 officers below full staffing. The department is trying to address those issues, said Jennifer Keeney, a spokeswoman. She shared a message for the family members of murder victims: \u201cWe understand they are grieving, frustrated and in pain. We want them to know it\u2019s frustrating for us, too, and that we do care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Louisville is representative of a national issue. In the United States, people often get away with murder. The clearance rate \u2014 the share of cases that result in an arrest or are otherwise solved \u2014 was 58 percent in 2023, the latest year for which F.B.I. data is available. And that figure is inflated because it includes murders from previous years that police solved in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p> Excellent article by @germanrlopez<\/a> for the @nytimes<\/a> about a big, important problem in the US:
Most crimes aren\u2019t solved. If you murder someone, it\u2019s essentially a coin flip whether you\u2019ll be arrested for it. If you steal a car, you\u2019ll almost certainly get away with it.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/te9tPQBBVl<\/a><\/p>— Jennifer Doleac (@jenniferdoleac) July 6, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>