There seems to be a fairly huge non-sequitur in the middle of the article: Homicides have fallen, but people say they believe crime has risen in their area, therefore perception is wrong.
It's entirely possible that homicide has fallen back to the pre-Covid level, but pettier crimes are on the increase, and not being recorded due to lighter-touch policing as cited earlier in the article.
It's entirely possible that homicide has fallen back to the pre-Covid level, but pettier crimes are on the increase, and not being recorded due to lighter-touch policing as cited earlier in the article.