Crime Statistics
Understanding the scope of unsolved crimes and resource challenges facing law enforcement agencies across America. This is why we need AI.
Cold Cases
Only about 7% of U.S. law enforcement agencies have dedicated cold case units. Most departments lack specialized teams, so cold cases are often handled by already overburdened detectives as time allows.
Nearly 346,000 homicides have gone unsolved in the U.S. since 1965. This massive backlog grows each year, compounding the strain on investigative resources.
The nation adds roughly 6,000 new unsolved murders annually. Each year, more cases go cold, increasing the workload and pressure on departments.
Many agencies use a "pick it up, put it down" model for cold cases, meaning cases are only worked intermittently when time allows, leading to long gaps in investigation and delayed justice.
Cold case investigations are often not cost-effective under current models, with limited data on return for time invested and conviction rates, making it difficult for agencies to justify allocating more resources.
Missing Persons
Over 563,000 missing person records were entered into the FBI's NCIC database in 2023. This high volume strains agencies' ability to thoroughly investigate each case.
There were 96,955 active missing persons cases at the end of 2023. These open cases accumulate, adding to investigative workload.
52% of police forces do not have the resources to run a dedicated missing persons unit. Most departments can only focus on high-risk cases, leaving many with minimal attention.
Law enforcement is overwhelmed with demand and limited resources, often investigating only the most urgent or high-profile missing persons cases.
The complexity of missing persons investigations is rising, with mental health and repeat cases adding to the challenge for already stretched officers.
Homicide
The homicide clearance rate in the U.S. dropped from 93% in the 1960s to just 58% in 2023. This means more than 4 in 10 murders now go unsolved, reflecting the strain on investigative capacity.
In 2022 alone, there were 9,458 new unsolved homicides. The backlog of unsolved cases grows every year, further burdening departments.
Departments must balance new cases with a mounting backlog of unsolved homicides, often forcing them to prioritize recent crimes over older cases.
Many homicide units are overworked, and improvements in clearance rates only occurred when the number of new murders dropped, freeing up some investigative capacity.
Some states, like Illinois and Michigan, have clearance rates as low as 54%, meaning nearly half of all murders in those states go unsolved, highlighting resource and workload challenges.
Violent Crime
The violent crime clearance rate fell to a record low of 36.7% in 2022, down from 48.1% in 2013, indicating that police are solving fewer violent crimes than ever before.
Clearance rates for aggravated assault dropped from 57.7% in 2013 to 41.4% in 2022, showing a significant decline in solved cases as caseloads rise.
The clearance rate for rape fell from 40.6% in 2013 to 26.1% in 2022, further illustrating how departments are overwhelmed by volume and complexity.
The U.S. saw a 30% surge in murders in 2020, adding immense pressure to already stretched police resources.
Many investigative units lack workload standards and do not monitor caseloads per investigator, leading to inequitable distribution of work and reduced performance.
The Old System Can't Keep Up
The data is clear, investigators need help. Cold Case AI uses artificial intelligence to organize chaos, surface leads, and accelerate breakthroughs without burning out departments.