Report: Violent Crime Deceases In First Half Of 2007
According to the FBI's Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report released Monday, the nation experienced a 1.8 percent decrease in violent crime and a 2.6 percent decrease in property crime during the first six months of 2007 compared to the same period in 2006. The report is based on information from law enforcement agencies that contributed three to six comparable months of data to the FBI during January through June of both 2006 and 2007. A total of 11,673 law enforcement agencies met the criteria to be included in the current report.
Violent Crime
- Each of the violent crime offense categories (murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) decreased nationwide during January through June 2007 when compared to the corresponding months in 2006. Murder decreased 1.1 percent, forcible rape declined 6.1 percent, robbery decreased 1.2 percent, and aggravated assault decreased 1.7 percent.
- The data compiled by population groups for the nation's cities showed that the largest decline in violent crime (5.1 percent) for the trend period was in cities with 250,000 to 499,999 inhabitants.
- Violent crime increased 1.1 percent in non-metropolitan counties and 1.1 percent in cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999. In addition, small increases were experienced in cities under 10,000 in population (0.3 percent) and in cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,999 (0.1 percent).
- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined 6.5 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants but increased 4.9 percent in metropolitan counties, 3.2 percent in cities with 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants, and 1.3 percent in non-metropolitan counties.
- Forcible rape declined in all population groups. The greatest decrease (14.2 percent) occurred in cities with one million or more inhabitants; the smallest decline (2.8 percent) occurred in the nation's smallest cities (those under 10,000 in population).
- Robbery declined 4.3 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants and 3.4 percent in cities with 250,000 to 499,999 residents. Robbery increased 3.9 percent in cities with 25,000 to 49,999 inhabitants and 3.4 percent in non-metropolitan counties.
- Aggravated assault decreased 6.2 percent in cities with 250,000 to 499,999 in population and 3.3 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants. Aggravated assault offenses rose 2.1 percent in cities with 10,000 to 24,999 inhabitants and 1.7 percent in non-metropolitan counties.
- Overall, violent crime decreased in all four of the nation's regions during the reporting period.
- Each of the property crime offense categories (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) decreased in the first six months of 2007 when compared to data for the same six month period in 2006. Burglary decreased 1.3 percent, larceny-theft declined 2.1 percent, and motor vehicle theft decreased 7.4 percent.
Property Crime
- Property crime decreased in all of the nation's city groups; however, burglary offenses increased 3.5 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants. Larceny-theft decreased 4.1 percent in cities with 250,000 to 499,999 in population, and motor vehicle theft decreased 9.5 percent in cities with 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants.
- Three of the nation's four regions experienced decreases in property crime during the first six months of 2007 when compared to the same time period in 2006. However, the South had an overall 0.4 percent increase in property crime.
Arson
- Arson offenses, which are tracked separately from other property crimes, decreased 9.7 percent nationwide; the greatest decrease (15.9 percent) occurred in cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants.
The complete report can be found at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.