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It's the takeaway. I'm Melissa Harris- Harris Perry. Today we're starting. Downtowns

are the core parts of many of our cities. They're often home to iconic architecture,

museums, parks, bridges, all those visual markers of a place's unique history and culture.

Often, they're the economic engines, not only of the city, but of the whole metropolitan region,

where big and small businesses keep thousands employed.

The lights are much brighter there, you can't forget all your troubles, forget all your cares thousands employed. But if you've been watching the news or checked social media lately, downtown might be

looking a little different.

Many tech executives have taken to social media to say that violent crime in San Francisco is horrific and the streets are unsafe.

We've been reporting on it for months now, increasing crime in downtown Pittsburgh.

Chicago is a city in crisis right now from the chaos we saw downtown this past weekend to the rise in downtown Pittsburgh. Chicago is a city in crisis right now, from the chaos we saw downtown this past weekend,

to the rise in violent crime.

Elected officials are also raising alarms about out-of-control crime,

and this isn't just an election season talking point.

Here's New York City's mayor, Adams speaking with Fox News last month.

So if we don't damn all the rivers that are causing this flow of violence in all the big cities across America, we have a real crisis on our hands.

But there's just one problem with all this.

It isn't exactly accurate.

A new study out of the Brookings Institution

examined how people in four major cities downtowns

...