Are crime rates higher in red states?

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One popular atheist trope is to claim that crime rates are higher in red states and lower in blue states, which further correlates (so goes the argument) with higher or lower rates of religious adherence.

One problem with this comparison is the way it usually sakes over racial and socioeconomic demographics. But another problem is the question of how reliable crime stats are. For instance:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/nyregion/new-york-police-department-manipulates-crime-reports-study-finds.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&pagewanted=print