The FBI director thinks homicides are up due to widespread police scrutiny

FBI Director James Comey speculated Friday that public scrutiny surrounding police brutality could be related to the increase some cities have seen in homicides this year, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Fatal police shootings of unarmed black people — some caught on video — in cities like Ferguson, Missouri; New York City; and Cleveland have sparked nationwide protests.

"In today's YouTube world, there are officers reluctant to get out of their cars and do the work that controls violent crime," Comey said in a speech at University of Chicago's law school. "Our officers are answering 911 calls, but avoiding the informal contact that keeps bad guys from standing around, especially with guns."

Comey acknowledged there's no data to back up his theory, and that other factors are likely at play. The New York Times points out that even while homicide rates are up in many cities, they aren't necessarily accompanied by an increase in shootings or even in the overall crime rate.

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The suggestion that a so-called Ferguson effect has influenced policing is controversial among law enforcement officials, many of whom panned Comey's comments.

"Our officers are very, very sensitive to the climate right now, but I haven't seen any evidence to say our officers aren't doing their jobs," Oakland, California, police chief Sean Whent told the Times.