As I travel across mid-Michigan, I constantly hear from voters about how important crime is in the 2024 election. However, Democrats in Washington and Lansing are trying to convince us that things are much better than they actually are.

People are shocked to learn that Lansing, Michigan — the center of the 7th District — ranks as one of the top twenty most violent cities in America. It was also reported this past June that Michigan was the second most violent state in the nation. So why are Democratic Party politicians like liberal Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and many others in D.C. singing a different tune? Maybe because the real numbers tell a much different story.

The FBI says murder rates have dropped. But, if you look at reports from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), violent crime is actually up. While the FBI relies on self-reporting from police departments, often excluding some of the largest, most violent cities in the country (Chicago, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles), the CDC relies on the cause of death as reported by coroners from across the nation, a far more accurate accounting.

The CDC data shows that between 2022 and 2023, murders increased from 7.21 per 100,000 residents, to 7.5 per 100,000. Meanwhile, the FBI reports 6.35 murders per 100,000 residents in 2022 and 5.70 in 2023 — significantly underreporting the statistics by 12 percent in 2022 and 24 percent in 2023.

Another underlying problem, especially here in Michigan, is the lack of accountability by progressive prosecutors to hold criminals responsible, undermining of the work of our police. As a 22-year politician, with one of the most liberal voting records in the state, my opponent, Curtis Hertel, Jr., authored legislation (SB649 2021) to reduce prison sentences for violent criminals, including murderers, rapists, and child molesters — with no exceptions. His radical view of justice shows little to no remorse for the victims of violent crime, and too much sympathy for the violent criminals.

I have the endorsements of the Police Officers Association of Michigan, and a majority of the sheriffs and prosecutors in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. These men and women are risking their lives to keep our communities safe while liberal politicians like Hertel second-guess them, put them at risk, and undermine their authority.

When criminals don’t fear harsh penalties, they are incentivized to be even more brazen. This has a direct correlation with rising crime and assaults on law enforcement officers. As a society, this is something we cannot tolerate.

I joined one of our local police departments last week for a ride-along to see first-hand what our law enforcement professionals deal with in the 7th District. While this department has increased its police force, many other departments are facing staffing shortages as more and more officers retire, and recruitment classes continue to shrink. In many jurisdictions, it’s reached a crisis point.

Congress must do more to support local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. We need to help departments with funding to ensure they have the best equipment, resources, and training. We also need to stop the wasteful spending on the state and federal level and give our officers a raise. It’s long overdue and will help departments on all levels hire more officers.

In Congress, I plan to introduce legislation that will require local departments to report their crime statistics to the FBI each year or lose all federal funding. We cannot allow departments to opt-out or withhold complete information if we are going to work together to make our communities safer.

Tom Barrett is the Republican nominee for Congress in Michigan’s 7th District.