Political ads spark clash over Lincoln crime statistics

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — As we get closer to Lincoln’s general election, you might see a flood of TV ads.

Experts say political ads are just like normal ads: They are trying to persuade viewers. 

“A lot of times what they’re aimed at is, ‘Just don’t vote for the other person,'” said Kevin Smith, a political science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “In other words, it’s not ‘Get the vote for me,’ it’s ‘Suppress the vote for the other person.’”

Many of the ads in this election are focused on crime and law enforcement.

Former Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady, who has endorsed Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, says the ads claiming that crime is out of control in Lincoln are wrong. 

“Crime is actually falling quite a bit since it peaked in 1991,” Casady said. “You have less of a chance of being a victim of a crime today than you did, way less, than 1991.”

According to data from the city’s website, the crime rate per 100,000 people was 7,043 in 1990.

In 2022, that number was slashed by more than half, dropping to 3,280.

But former Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Tom Nesbitt, who backs former State Sen. Suzanne Geist, said crime is a concern among voters.

“They can say all they want about crime being down, but the fact of the matter is the most heinous crime, of murder, is up,” Nesbitt said.

The Lincoln Police Department has noted that despite the increase in homicides, violent crimes overall are down compared with previous years. LPD counts four offenses as violent crime: homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. 

The most recent data from LPD covers Jan. 1 through April 9. Violent crime in that period was down by 22%, compared with the average from that same period in each of the previous five years.

As of April 9, there were homicides in the city. None were reported in the same period last year.

In total, there were 11 homicides in 2022, compared with eight in 2021.