The saying “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics” is often attributed to the British statesman Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881). I bought this quote after reading a recent newspaper article in which the reporter attempted to make a convincing argument that crime was declining in Connecticut by citing statistics and interviewing a professor from the University of New Haven (who previously served as a Democratic member of the Connecticut House). I remembered. representatives from 1986 to 2011).

The article pooh-poohed the poll numbers quoted by Ben Proto, the current chairman of the Republican party in Connecticut, who stated that it was “…one of the top three or four issues…” that citizens were most concerned about. But Pew Research Center reported In 2022, “Nearly six in ten registered voters (61%) say violent crime is very important when deciding who to vote for in this year’s congressional elections.”