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Violent crime up, property crime down in 2006, FBI reports

Violent crime increased 1.3 percent in 2006 when compared with data from 2005. However, property crime decreased 2.9 percent for the same time period, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI collected the national preliminary data from 11,723 law enforcement agencies that submitted at least six months of offense data through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program in both 2005 and 2006. Statistics from the annual report include the following information regarding property crime:

For 2006, property crime decreased 2.9 percent when compared with 2005 data. Motor vehicle theft offenses dropped 4.7 percent and larceny-theft offenses were down 3.5 percent. Burglary offenses increased 0.2 percent.

Property crime decreased in all of the nation’s city population groups, ranging from a 3.4 percent decline in cities with populations of 100,000 to 499,999 persons to a 2.1 percent decrease in cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants.

Nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties had declines in property crime, down 4.2 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

Motor vehicle theft and larceny-theft decreased in all of the nation’s population groups.

For burglary, nonmetropolitan counties had the greatest decrease of 4.6 percent among the population groups, and cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants had the greatest increase (3.3 percent).

Three of the four regions saw decreases in reports of property crime from 2005 to 2006. However, property crimes were virtually unchanged (+0.1 percent) in the Midwest.

By offense type, each region experienced declines in the number of larceny-thefts and motor vehicle thefts.

Arson offenses, which are tracked separately from other property crime offenses, increased 1.8 percent from the previous year’s number. All population groups had increases in arson offenses except for cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999 inhabitants (-3.4 percent) and those cities with 100,000 to 249,999 persons (-0.8 percent).

Statistics from the annual report also included information regarding violent crime:

Three of the nation’s four geographic regions had increases in violent crimes from 2005 to 2006.

By violent crime category, robbery offenses increased 6 percent, and murder and non negligent manslaughter increased 0.3 percent.

The largest increase in murder offenses occurred in cities with populations of 1,000,000 or more, 6.7 percent. In contrast, murders decreased 11.9 percent in nonmetropolitan counties.

Robbery offenses increased in each population group except nonmetropolitan counties, where these offenses were down 0.8 percent.

Aggravated assault offenses decreased 2.3 percent in cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants, the greatest decrease among the city population groups. Those offenses declined 5.4 percent in the nonmetropolitan counties.

Topics Property