Studies by government agencies and academic institutions insist that crime is dropping, but for many Americans it sure doesn’t seem that way. Major cities are becoming retail deserts as grocery stores, pharmacies & major brand stores flee rising retail theft. City street “takeovers” result in property damage and violence. Police departments are outmanned and underfunded, with lengthy response times endangering lives. Prosecutors are declaring that they’re going to stop filing charges for certain crimes, in the name of “equity.” And all the while, state & city government continuously seek ways to restrict citizens’ rights to defend themselves…a right that even the Supreme Court’s liberal wing has repeatedly upheld. John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center joins the show to discuss why the perception of crime simply doesn’t line up with the federal government’s numbers.