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Violent crime in United States slides for second year in row

Oct 3, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC – Violent crime in the United States is on the slide. Last year violent crime fell compared to the previous year, according to the FBI’s annual crime statistics released on Monday.

Property crime also fell.

Violent crime declined by 3.3% in 2018 compared to 2017. It was the second year in a row that violent crime decreased.

Property crime fell even further, down by 6.3%. And for property crime, it was the 16th year in a row of declines.

Nearly every category of violent crime decreased between 2017 and 2018, with the exception of rape offenses, which increased by 2.7%.

In the property crime category, there were nearly 7.2 million offenses reported last year. Burglaries, larceny-thefts, and motor vehicle thefts all declined in 2018 compared to 2017 data.

The crime data was voluntarily reported to the FBI by more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies across the country, and after collation was reproduced in the official FBI report: Crime in the United States, 2018, the annual crime statistics document produced by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Of the 18,586 federal, state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies eligible to participate in the UCR Program, 16,659 agencies submitted data in 2018.

In 2018, there were an estimated 1,206,836 violent crimes, including 14,123 murders. Robbery offenses fell 12.0%, murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses fell 6.2%, and the estimated volume of aggravated assault offenses decreased 0.4%. The estimated volume of rape offenses increased 2.7%.

Nationwide, there were an estimated 7,196,045 property crimes. The estimated numbers for all three property crimes showed declines when compared with the previous year’s estimates. Burglaries dropped 11.9%, larceny-thefts decreased 5.4%, and motor vehicle thefts were down 3.1%.

Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) suffered losses estimated at $16.4 billion in 2018.

The FBI estimated law enforcement agencies nationwide made 10.3 million arrests, (excluding those for traffic violations) in 2018.

The arrest rate for violent crime was 159.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the arrest rate for property crime was 361.2 per 100,000 inhabitants.

By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was 3.7 per 100,000 inhabitants; rape (aggregate total using the revised and legacy definition), 7.7; robbery, 27.2; and aggravated assault, 121.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.

Of the property crime offenses, the arrest rate for burglary was 54.9 per 100,000 inhabitants; larceny-theft, 275.5; and motor vehicle theft, 28.1. The arrest rate for arson was 2.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.

In 2018, 13,497 law enforcement agencies reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that, as of October 31, 2018, they collectively employed 686,665 sworn officers and 288,640 civilians-a rate of 3.4 employees per 1,000 inhabitants.

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