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

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