FBI Reports That Violent Crimes Rose in 2012
The FBI released its Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report on June 3, reporting that in 2012 the number of violent crimes in the United States rose by 1.2 percent, property crimes dropped by 0.8 percent and arson offenses declined by 1.2 percent. The report summarizes information the FBI gathered from 13,770 law enforcement agencies that submitted six to 12 comparable months of data for 2011 and 2012.
The violent crime offenses of murder and non-negligent manslaughter increased 1.5 percent from the 2011 figures, aggravated assaults increased by 1.7 percent and robberies increased 0.6 percent. Forcible rape offenses declined 0.3 percent. The largest increase in murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses, 12.5 percent, occurred in cities with populations of 500,000 to 999,000. Cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 showed the only decrease of such crimes, 1.3 percent.
Nationally, burglaries decreased by 3.6 percent in 2012, motor vehicle thefts increased 1.3 percent, and larceny-theft offenses remained virtually unchanged, according to the agency.