Are Crime Statistics Dividing Us? We Asked the Audience

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Are crime statistics helping us understand what’s really happening — or are they pushing us further apart? In this follow-up episode, we take the conversation to the audience, pulling real thoughts from the comments and asking viewers directly how they interpret crime data. We explore the difference between totals, per-capita rates, and arrests, and question whether numbers are being used to inform the public or fuel division.

👇 Join the conversation: Do crime statistics educate us — or divide us?

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
And if we go to China tonight, who do you think
is killing Chinese in Chinatonight?
If we go to Italy tomorrow, whodo you think is killing Italians
in Italy?
And if 98% of all white folksthat was murdered in America was
murdered by white folk, if y'allthink talking about white and
white, how y'all think that'stalking about black black black

(00:22):
black?

SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
Peace, peace, peace.
Peace family.
In tune for the sound of theOnly One Mike Podcast Mic Drop
show.
I'm your host, Carl Gerard.
In the last episode, we brokedown how crime stats get
misread.
Now, I want to ask you, are theybeing used to divide us?
Now, this is going to besomething a little bit

(00:54):
different, guys.
This is going to be anaudience-driven conversation,
meaning that I'm going tointerview you, the audience.
And the thoughts that I'm goingto express on this is coming
straight from the commentsection, meaning that you who
are listening may have put oneof these comments in.
So I just want to ask you guys afew questions at this point.

(01:14):
So let's go ahead and get intoit.
A lot of you said things like, Iquote, it depends on whether
you're talking about totals orper capita.
People argue without evendefining what more crimes mean.
So let me ask you this.
When you hear someone say thatthis group commits more crime,
what do you think they actuallymean?

(01:35):
Is it the total numbers, therates per hundred thousand, or
just arrests?
And be honest, did you alwaysknow the difference?
And another comment that wasmade was, and I quote, arrest
numbers don't mean crimenumbers.
And that's a strong statement.

(01:56):
So here's a follow-up question.
Do you think arrests reflectbehavior or enforcement?
And if policing looks differentdepending on the neighborhood,
should we be surprised when thenumbers look different too?
Now, guys, I'm gonna be honest,I'm quite sure for a lot of
people this is where many partsof this conversation start
getting a little bituncomfortable.

(02:17):
But, you know, we want you to beas as honest as you can in your
answer.
And several of you alsomentioned that the media decides
what people fear, and certaincrimes get more attention than
others.

So let me ask you this question: Do you think the media shows us (02:32):
undefined
what's most common or what'smost clickable?
And how much do you think thatshapes who people believe commit
the most crime?
And now this question is foreveryone listening.
Do you think crime statisticsare being used more to solve

(02:53):
problems or to divide people?
And why do you think crimediscussions focus so heavily on
who commits the crime instead ofwhy does crime concentrate where
it does?
Is it poverty?
Is it the environment?
Is it the opportunities that'savailable, or is it the
policies?
Because these don't trend aseasily as blame, y'all.
And this isn't a right or wronganswer, guys.

(03:15):
It's about how we think and whatwe question.
So I'll leave you with this.
When you see a crime statisticonline, do you question a number
or the group it's attached to?
Please drop your thoughts in thecomments.
Let's have respectful discourseabout this situation, guys.
Um, again, like I said, we don'tgrow in silence, y'all.

(03:38):
We grow in conversation.
So please drop all your thoughtsin the comment section and
let's, you know, have a bigdiscussion about this to see if
we can learn from one another.
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(04:02):
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Email us at theonly1mic00 atgmail.com, or call us at
302-367-7219 to have yourcomments or your questions.
Try to make it on this show,guys.

(04:23):
We appreciate you as always.
Again, thank you for theengagement of the last episode.
This is what we love to hear.
This is what this show is aboutto have everybody come together
and have these toughconversations.
The only one might podcast, callGerard, signing off.
Peace.