You’re ignoring the absence of anecdotes.
A nationwide problem which has gone on for decades should have plenty of anecdotes. “This happened to us / a neighbor/ a friend/ a relative X years ago”....
Yet if this problem was truly as great of a problem so many years ago, where are all the anecdotes? If nothing has changed, then the presence of anecdotes would reflect no change.
I agree this is becoming more and more prevalent.
Do you recall the NY shooter this past summer by the Empire State Building? Late August IIRC? I was in a waiting room with my sister about the time they reported that the believed some of the wounded bystanders were probably due to LEO rounds fired.
I had become so jaded (and still am) by all the cop shooting dog stories, I turned to my sister and said, “They must have thought they were smuggling puppies.”
Yes. What anectotes? I don’t know of anyone who has had a dog shot by police. Ever. I am just saying just because you read more about a certain type of news story now doesn’t mean it now happens more often. That goes for any number of stories.