• Law
  • News wires white papers and books
  • Crime in the United States

Crime in the United States

views updated

Chapter 1
Crime in the United States

A crime occurs whenever a person commits an act prohibited by law or fails to act where there is a legal responsibility to do so. State and federal laws both define criminal behavior and specify corresponding punishments. Such activities as murder, robbery, and burglary have been considered criminal since ancient civilizations first began to record legal codes. Other actions, such as domestic violence and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, were added to the list of criminal offenses during the twentieth century as public awareness grew concerning the devastating consequences of allowing such behaviors to go unchecked. Technology has also influenced crime. For example, the widespread use of computers has provided new opportunities for white-collar crime and added a new word—"cybercrime"—to our vocabulary.

Criminal behavior can range from activities as simple as taking chewing gum from a store without paying to those as tragic and violent as murder. Most people have broken the law, wittingly or unwittingly, at some time in their lives. Therefore, the true extent of criminality is impossible to measure. Researchers can compile and analyze records only of incidents reported by victims or known to the police.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) are the two main government sources that collect crime statistics. The FBI assembles the annual Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), which present data from about 17,000 city, county, and state law enforcement agencies. These jurisdictions contain approximately 94% of the total U.S. population. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), prepared by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, bases its findings on an annual survey of approximately 130,000 people.

FACTORS IN THE RATE OF CRIME

The FBI lists many factors that can influence the rate of crime in a particular area, including:

  • Population density and degree of urbanization
  • Variations in the makeup of the population, particularly where youth is most concentrated
  • Stability of the population—residents' mobility (tendency to move around), commuting patterns, and length of time residing in the area
  • Types and condition of transportation and highway systems available
  • Economic conditions, including average income, poverty, and job availability
  • Cultural conditions, such as educational, recreational, and religious characteristics
  • Family conditions with respect to divorce and family togetherness
  • Climate and weather
  • Effectiveness of law enforcement agencies
  • Law enforcement agencies' administrative and investigative practices
  • Policies of other parts of the criminal justice system, including prosecution, justice, corrections, and probation
  • Attitudes of residents toward crime
  • Crime-reporting practices of the citizens

CRIME ON THE DECLINE

During the 1990s many people believed the crime rate was increasing. The randomness of crime and the sensational media reporting of such incidents as drive-by shootings and driveway robberies seemed to support this belief. Carol J. DeFrances and Steven K. Smith of the BJS reported in Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime, 1995 (1998, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/pnc95.pdf) that about 7.3% of U.S. households cited crime as a major problem in their neighborhoods. Not surprisingly, households in central cities were twice as likely (14.5%) to indicate that crime was a serious problem. In 1995, 19.6% of black central-city households identified crime as a neighborhood problem, compared with 13% of white central-city households.

However, the FBI, state agencies, and city governments have reported that the overall crime rate has been dropping steadily since 1991. According to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005 (2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/), violent crime declined 26%, from 1.9 million incidents in 1991 to 1.4 million in 2005, and property crime fell 22%, from 13 million incidents in 1991 to 10.2 million in 2005. (See Table 1.1.) Overall, the number of crimes in the United States declined from 14.9 million in 1991 to 11.6 million in 2005, a decrease of 22%.

The decrease in property crime rates continued through the first six months of 2006, according to preliminary UCR data released by the FBI. (In FBI reporting, property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.) Property crime rates were 2.6% lower during this period than during the same period in 2005. (See Table 1.2.) However, violent crime rates began increasing in 2005, and, as Table 1.2 also shows, 3.7% more violent crimes were reported during the first six months of 2006 than had been reported during the first six months of 2005. (The FBI defines violent crimes as those involving force or threat of force. These crimes include murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.)

CHANGES IN 2006

According to preliminary data on violent crimes committed during 2006, the number of robberies increased by 9.7% compared with 2005, murders rose by 1.4%, aggravated assaults increased by 1.2%, and the number of forcible rapes was unchanged. Among property crimes, the FBI's 2006 preliminary data showed a decrease of 2.3% in motor vehicle thefts, a 1.2% increase in burglaries, a 6.8% increase in arsons, and a decrease of 3.8% in larceny-thefts from 2005. (See Table 1.2.)

By region, the preliminary data show that the number of violent crimes increased by 4.7% over 2005 figures in the nation's West, by 3.9% in the Midwest, by 3.3% in the South, and by 2.9% in the Northeast. Property crimes decreased by 5.7% in the West, 3% in the South, and 0.3% in the Northeast in 2006, according to the preliminary data, but they increased by 1.7% in the Midwest. Violent crime offenses increased in the nation's cities, with the largest increase of 6.8% recorded in cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999. Cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,000 also experienced the greatest decrease—4.6%—in property crime rates. Cities of all sizes, from those with populations less than 10,000 to those with more than one million residents, experienced an increase in violent crime and a decrease in property crime. (See Table 1.2.)

THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS

The FBI compiles several sets of crime statistics, including the number and type of crimes reported by local police. The FBI also tracks cleared offenses, which are crimes for which at least one person has been arrested, charged, and turned over to the court for prosecution. This does not necessarily mean the person arrested was guilty or will be convicted of the crime. Cleared offenses also include those cleared by "extraordinary means," that is, offenses for which there can be no arrest. Such cases include, for example, a murder/suicide when the perpetrator is known to be deceased.

Crime in Urban and Rural Areas

Although crime is certainly not limited to cities, it is far more likely to occur in urban areas than in rural areas. According to the FBI, the violent crime rate in metropolitan statistical areas during 2005 was 509.7 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants, almost two-and-a-half times the rate in rural areas (206.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). A "metropolitan statistical area," or MSA, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, is an urbanized area that includes a central city of 50,000 residents or more or an urbanized area with a total metropolitan population of 75,000 in New England and at least 100,000 elsewhere. In cities outside metropolitan areas, the violent crime rate was 373.5 per 100,000. (See Table 1.3.)

In all categories of violent crime except forcible rape, the rate was higher in metropolitan areas than smaller cities. In contrast, the rate of property crime was higher in cities outside metropolitan areas (3,998.1 per 100,000) than within metropolitan areas (3,598.8 per 100,000 inhabitants). The crime with the greatest disparity between MSAs and rural areas, robbery, occurred ten times more often in metropolitan areas than in rural areas. The incidence of motor vehicle theft was also significantly greater, about 3.3 times higher, in MSAs than in rural areas. Among property crimes, larceny-theft occurred at a significantly higher rate in smaller cities (3,001.8 per 100,000 residents) than in metropolitan areas (2,386.1 per 100,000). However, motor vehicle theft was much more common in MSAs (469.1 per 100,000) than in cities outside MSAs (141 per 100,000).

VIOLENT CRIMES

According to the FBI in Crime in the United States, Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report 2006 (2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelim06/index.html), the nation's largest cities (those with more than one million in population) reported a 1.6% increase in violent crimes during the first six months of 2006 compared with the same period in 2005. (See Table 1.2.) With an increase of 6.8% between 2005 and 2006, cities with

TABLE 1.1
Crime by volume and rate, 1986–2005, and percent change in crime volume and rate for selected periods, 1996–2005
[Per 100,000 inhabitants]
YearPopulationaViolent crimeViolent crime rateMurder and nonnegligent manslaughterMurder and nonnegligent manslaughter rateForcible rapeForcible rape rateRobberyRobbery rateAggravated assaultAggravated assault rateProperty crimeProperty crime rateBurglaryBurglary rateLarceny-theftLarceny-theft rateMotor vehicle theftMotor vehicle theft rate
aPopulations are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1 for each year except 1990 and 2000, which are decennial census counts.
bThe murder and nonnegligent homicides that occurred as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, are not included in this table.
cThe 2004 crime figures have been adjusted.
Note: Although arson data are included in the trend and clearance tables, sufficient data are not available to estimate totals for this offense.
Source: Adapted from "Table 1. Crime in the United States, by Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants, 1986–2005," and "Table 1A. Crime in the United States, Percent Change in Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants for 2 Years, 5 Years, and 10 Years," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/standard_links/national_estimates.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
1986240,132,8871,489,169620.120,6138.691,45938.1542,775226.0834,322347.411,722,7004,881.83,241,4101,349.87,257,1533,022.11,224,137509.8
1987242,288,9181,483,999612.520,0968.391,11137.6517,704213.7855,088352.912,024,7094,963.03,236,1841,335.77,499,8513,095.41,288,674531.9
1988244,498,9821,566,221640.620,6758.592,48637.8542,968222.1910,092372.212,356,8655,054.03,218,0771,316.27,705,8723,151.71,432,916586.1
1989246,819,2301,646,037666.921,5008.794,50438.3578,326234.3951,707385.612,605,4125,107.13,168,1701,283.67,872,4423,189.61,564,800634.0
1990249,464,3961,820,127729.623,4389.4102,55541.1639,271256.31,054,863422.912,655,4865,073.13,073,9091,232.27,945,6703,185.11,635,907655.8
1991252,153,0921,911,767758.224,7039.8106,59342.3687,732272.71,092,739433.412,961,1165,140.23,157,1501,252.18,142,2283,229.11,661,738659.0
1992255,029,6991,932,274757.723,7609.3109,06242.8672,478263.71,126,974441.912,505,9174,903.72,979,8841,168.47,915,1993,103.61,610,834631.6
1993257,782,6081,926,017747.124,5269.5106,01441.1659,870256.01,135,607440.512,218,7774,740.02,834,8081,099.77,820,9093,033.91,563,060606.3
1994260,327,0211,857,670713.623,3269.0102,21639.3618,949237.81,113,179427.612,131,8734,660.22,712,7741,042.17,879,8123,026.91,539,287591.3
1995262,803,2761,798,792684.521,6068.297,47037.1580,509220.91,099,207418.312,063,9354,590.52,593,784987.07,997,7103,043.21,472,441560.3
1996265,228,5721,688,540636.619,6457.496,25236.3535,594201.91,037,049391.011,805,3234,451.02,506,400945.07,904,6852,980.31,394,238525.7
1997267,783,6071,636,096611.018,2086.896,15335.9498,534186.21,023,201382.111,558,4754,316.32,460,526918.87,743,7602,891.81,354,189505.7
1998270,248,0031,533,887567.616,9746.393,14434.5447,186165.5976,583361.410,951,8274,052.52,332,735863.27,376,3112,729.51,242,781459.9
1999272,690,8131,426,044523.015,5225.789,41132.8409,371150.1911,740334.310,208,3343,743.62,100,739770.46,955,5202,550.71,152,075422.5
2000281,421,9061,425,486506.515,5865.590,17832.0408,016145.0911,706324.010,182,5843,618.32,050,992728.86,971,5902,477.31,160,002412.2
2001b285,317,5591,439,480504.516,0375.690,86331.8423,557148.5909,023318.610,437,1893,658.12,116,531741.87,092,2672,485.71,228,391430.5
2002287,973,9241,423,677494.416,2295.695,23533.1420,806146.1891,407309.510,455,2773,630.62,151,252747.07,057,3792,450.71,246,646432.9
2003290,788,9761,383,676475.816,5285.793,88332.3414,235142.5859,030295.410,442,8623,591.22,154,834741.07,026,8022,416.51,261,226433.7
2004c293,656,8421,360,088463.216,1485.595,08932.4401,470136.7847,381288.610,319,3863,514.12,144,446730.36,937,0892,362.31,237,851421.5
2005296,410,4041,390,695469.216,6925.693,93431.7417,122140.7862,947291.110,166,1593,429.82,154,126726.76,776,8072,286.31,235,226416.7
Percent change
2005/2004+2.3+1.3+3.4+2.4−1.2−2.1+3.9+2.9+1.8+0.9−1.5−2.4+0.5−0.5−2.3−3.2−0.2−1.1
2005/2001−3.4−7.0+4.1+0.2+3.4−0.5−1.5−5.2−5.1−8.6−2.6−6.2+1.8−2.0−4.4−8.0+0.6−3.2
2005/1996−17.6−26.3−15.0−24.0−2.4−12.7−22.1−30.3−16.8−25.5−13.9−22.9−14.1−23.1−14.3−23.3−11.4−20.7
TABLE 1.2
Percent change in crimes reported, by population group and region, January-June 2006, and by two-year trends, 2002–06
Population groupNumber of agenciesPopulationViolent crimeMurderForcible rapeRobberyAggravated assaultProperty crimeBurglaryLarceny-theftMotor vehicle theftArson
aIncludes crimes reported to sheriffs' departments, county police departments, and state police within metropolitan statistical areas.
bIncludes crimes reported to sheriffs' departments, county police departments, and state police outside metropolitan statistical areas.
*Less than one-tenth of 1 percent.
Source: Adapted from "Table 1. Percent Change by Population Group, January-June, 2006," "Table 2. Percent Change by Geographic Region, January-June 2006," and "Table 3. Percent Change for Consecutive Years, January-June, 2002–2006," in Crime in the United States, Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January through June 2006, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, December 18, 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelim06/index.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Total11,535235,905,717+3.7+1.4 *+9.7+1.2−2.6+1.2−3.8−2.3+6.8
Cities:
1,000,000 and over1024,885,884+1.6+6.7+2.3+6.2−2.1−3.6−1.5−4.7−1.8+9.2
500,000 to 999,9992013,502,541+4.5+8.4+2.4+10.9+0.8−2.8+4.1−5.6−1.8+4.7
250,000 to 499,9993512,627,048+6.8+1.3+1.2+11.7+4.6−4.0+2.4−6.4−2.7−1.3
100,000 to 249,99917526,264,930+5.0+2.5+2.7+12.5+1.2−3.2+0.4−4.3−3.0+3.6
50,000 to 99,99935324,093,893+5.2−8.1−0.7+11.7+3.1−1.7+1.5−2.8−0.2+20.0
25,000 to 49,99963021,693,539+5.7−9.4+0.6+11.0+4.4−0.7+2.6−1.6−0.3+7.2
10,000 to 24,9991,41222,314,926+4.3−7.5 0.0+12.8+2.1−2.7+0.3−3.4−2.4+11.9
Under 10,0005,62418,353,284+2.4−11.9−2.6+6.8+2.2−1.8+0.6−2.2−3.2+20.0
Counties:
Metropolitana1,33250,760,060+3.0+3.1−0.8+8.4+1.8−1.8+3.1−3.2−4.0+3.1
Nonmetropolitanb1,94421,409,612−5.9−13.1−8.1−0.3−5.8−3.5−3.7−3.3−3.9−0.9
Region
    Total+3.7+1.4 *+9.7+1.2−2.6+1.2−3.8−2.3+6.8
Northeast+2.9+0.5−2.5+5.8+1.7−0.3+4.1−0.6−5.6+4.3
Midwest+3.9−2.0+1.0+10.4+1.1+1.7+5.8+0.7+0.3+6.6
South+3.3+3.3+1.1+8.0+1.5−3.0+0.9−4.7−0.2+3.4
West+4.7+1.6−1.0+14.6+0.6−5.7−2.6−7.2−3.9+11.5
Years
2003/2002−3.1+1.1−4.0−0.5−4.4−0.8−1.0−1.1+0.9−10.0
2004/2003−2.0−5.7+1.4−5.0−0.9−1.9−2.2−1.9−1.6−6.8
2005/2004−0.5+2.1−4.7+0.6−0.7−2.8−1.1−3.5−2.1−5.6
2006/2005+3.7+1.4 *+9.7+1.2−2.6+1.2−3.8−2.3+6.8
TABLE 1.3
Crime by community type, 2005
AreaPopulationaViolent crimeMurder and nonnegligent manslaughterForcible rapeRobberyAggravated assaultProperty crimeBurglaryLarceny-theftMotor vehicle theft
aPopulations are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2005.
bThe percentage reported under "area actually reporting" is based on the population covered by agencies providing 3 months or more of crime reports to the FBI.
Note: Although arson data are included in the trend and clearance tables, sufficient data are not available to estimate totals for this offense. Therefore, no arson data are published in this table.
Source: "Table 2. Crime in the United States, by Community Type, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_02.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    United States total296,410,4041,390,69516,69293,934417,122862,94710,166,1592,154,1266,776,8071,235,226
Rate per 100,000 inhabitants469.25.631.7140.7291.13,429.8726.72,286.3416.7
Metropolitan statistical area245,756,143
Area actually reportingb       95.4%1,173,67314,08173,628375,063710,9018,359,2421,732,2655,523,3231,103,654
Estimated total      100.0%1,252,51214,93278,264400,792758,5248,844,3691,827,5875,863,9021,152,880
Rate per 100,000 inhabitants509.76.131.8163.1308.63,598.8743.72,386.1469.1
Cities outside metropolitan areas20,044,706
Area actually reportingb       86.8%66,5096096,90110,12248,877703,885141,386527,18635,313
Estimated total      100.0%74,8686917,89311,51654,768801,411160,537601,70139,173
Rate per 100,000 inhabitants373.53.439.457.5273.23,998.1800.93,001.8195.4
Nonmetropolitan counties30,609,555
Area actually reportingb       88.1%57,6859436,8124,25345,677461,562147,548275,38938,625
Estimated total      100.0%63,3151,0697,7774,81449,655520,379166,002311,20443,173
Rate per 100,000 inhabitants206.83.525.415.7162.21,700.1542.31,016.7141.0

populations between 250,000 and 499,999 experienced even greater growth in the number of violent crimes.

During the first six months of 2006 murders were up by 6.7% in cities with over one million in population, compared with the same period in 2005. The largest increase in murders during this time was 8.4% in cities with populations between 500,000 and 999,999. In contrast, murders declined by 9.4% in cities with populations of between 25,000 and 49,999 and by 8.1% in cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999. The percentage increase of forcible rapes during the first six months of 2006 was highest (2.7%) in cities with populations of 100,000 to 249,999, while forcible rapes were down by 2.6% in cities with fewer than 10,000 people.

PROPERTY CRIMES

In contrast to violent crimes, rates of some property crimes, such as larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft, declined in cities of all sizes between 2005 and 2006. Although burglary rates also declined by 1.5% in cities of one million or more people in 2006, they increased in smaller cities of all sizes, ranging from those with fewer than 10,000 people to those with 500,000 to 999,999 people. Furthermore, the number of arsons increased in cities of all sizes, except those with populations of 250,000 to 499,999, where they decreased by 1.3%. (See Table 1.2.)

Regional Differences

Distinct crime patterns are commonly evident between different regions of the nation. In 2005 the South, the most populous region, had the highest crime rates for both violent crimes (542.6 per 100,000 residents) and property crimes (3,883.1 per 100,000). The least populous region, the nine states comprising the Northeast, had the lowest property crime rate (393.6 per 100,000) and the lowest violent crime rate (2,287.2 per 100,000). (See Figure 1.1.)

ARRESTS

In Crime in the United States, 2005, the FBI reports that law enforcement agencies nationwide made 14.1 million arrests for all criminal infractions, excluding traffic violations, in 2005. This figure includes all offenses reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI, including crimes not counted in the FBI's tabulations on specific crimes. The FBI reports 603,503 arrests for violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and 1.6 million arrests for property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) in 2005. Of the arrests for specific offenses on which the FBI collects statistics, drug abuse violations accounted for the greatest number (1.8 million), followed by driving under the influence (1.4 million), larceny-theft (1.1 million), and disorderly conduct (678,231). (See Table 1.4.)

Age

In 2005, 44.3% of people arrested for all criminal offenses nationwide were under age twenty-five. (See Table 1.5.) Of those arrested, 15.3% were under the age of eighteen, and 4.6% were under age fifteen. More than three-quarters (76.5%) of those arrested for liquor law infractions were under twenty-five years old, and two-thirds of those arrested for vandalism (66.3%) and arson (66.3%) were also under age twenty-five. Those under age eighteen accounted for nearly half (48.6%) of all arson arrests in 2005.

Arrests of persons under eighteen years of age (considered juveniles by most states) fell 24.9% between 1996 and 2005; arrests of those aged eighteen and older increased by 0.7% during the same period, according to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. Prostitution and commercialized vice violations saw the largest increase (20.3%) in arrests among persons under age eighteen between 1996 and 2005, followed by an increase of 3.7% for certain types of assault and an increase of 3.3% in arrests for disorderly conduct. Between 1996 and 2005, arrests of persons younger than eighteen years old declined for all other crimes on which the FBI collects data. Because curfew/loitering and running away are considered crimes for juveniles but not for adults, rates of these crimes are not measured for persons over eighteen years of age.

Gender

In 2005, men were arrested 3.2 times more often than women, according to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. Overall, males accounted for about 6.3 million arrests in 2005, compared with two million arrests of females. However, from 1996 to 2005, the number of males arrested for all offenses declined by 7.6%, while female arrests for all offenses increased by 7.4%. The number of arrests decreased for both males and females under age eighteen during this period, but the rate of decrease was twice as high for males (28.7%) as for females (14.3%). (See Table 1.6.)

Race and Ethnicity

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2005 whites comprised 80.2% of the population, while blacks accounted for 12.8%. During the same year Asians and Pacific Islanders totaled 4.5% of the population, and Native Americans/Alaska Natives accounted for 1% (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html). In an analysis of 10.2 million arrests reported by nearly 11,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide in 2005, the FBI reports that 69.8% of those arrested were white, and 27.8% were black. (See Table 1.7.) Another 1.3% of those arrested were Native Americans or Alaska Natives, and 1% were Asians or Pacific Islanders. Whites were arrested in about half of the murder cases (49.1%), with black suspects arrested nearly as often (48.6%). White drivers accounted for nine out of ten (88.4%) arrests for driving under the influence, while blacks were arrested in seven out of ten (71.1%) cases involving gambling violations.

TABLE 1.4
Estimated number of arrests, 2005
aDoes not include suspicion.
bViolent crimes are offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Source: "Table 29. Estimated Number of Arrests, United States, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_29.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
Totala14,094,186
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter14,062
Forcible rape25,528
Robbery114,616
Aggravated assault449,297
Burglary298,835
Larceny-theft1,146,696
Motor vehicle theft147,459
Arson16,337
    Violent crimeb603,503
    Property crimeb1,609,327
Other assaults1,301,392
Forgery and counterfeiting118,455
Fraud321,521
Embezzlement18,970
Stolen property; buying, receiving, possessing133,856
Vandalism279,562
Weapons; carrying, possessing, etc.193,469
Prostitution and commercialized vice84,891
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)91,625
Drug abuse violations1,846,351
Gambling11,180
Offenses against the family and children129,128
Driving under the influence1,371,919
Liquor laws597,838
Drunkenness556,167
Disorderly conduct678,231
Vagrancy33,227
All other offenses3,863,785
Suspicion3,764
Curfew and loitering law violations140,835
Runaways108,954

THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

State and local governments have always played a central role in controlling crime. The federal government enforces laws that fall within its jurisdiction, such as forgery and espionage, and operates prisons for those convicted of federal crimes. In addition, since the late 1960s the federal government has administered funding for several state and local crime control programs. (JoAnne O'Bryant, "Federal Crime Control Assistance to State and Local Governments," May 26, 2004, http://www.senate.gov/∼hutchison/RS20539.pdf). Some of these funds are designated for programs that address juvenile justice, violence against women, drug courts, and community policing efforts.

Federal Budget

Of the $39.7 billion in the federal budget proposed for administration of justice in fiscal year (FY) 2003, nearly half was allocated for law enforcement. (See Table 1.8.) Some of the law enforcement and crime prevention priorities reflected in the FY 2003 budget included funding to investigate criminal activity and support for programs to tighten border and transportation security.

Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322) included several provisions intended to "get tough on crime":

  • A ban on some semiautomatic assault-style rifles
  • A "three strikes and you're out" provision. This provision requires a mandatory life sentence without parole when an offender has been convicted of at least three serious or violent felony crimes and/or serious or violent drug-related crimes
  • Resources for more police and grants to help involve community organizations in crime prevention programs

The act also expanded the federal death penalty to apply to more than fifty offenses and provided funding for prison construction projects.

Violence against Women

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has distributed more than $2 billion since its creation in 1995. This funding supports communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices designed to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In October 2003, the President's Family Justice Center Initiative was established as a pilot program to help communities across the country plan, develop, and establish comprehensive domestic violence victim service and support centers. By January 2006 the Department of Justice reported that more than $20 million had been awarded to fifteen communities. These funds had been used to open and operate Family Justice Centers in Brooklyn, New York, San Antonio, Texas, Nampa, Idaho, Alameda County, California, Monroe County, Louisiana, and St. Louis, Missouri, with additional centers scheduled to open throughout the country (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2006/January/06_opa_014.html).

TYPES OF CRIME

In 2005, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports estimated that one violent crime was committed every 22.7 seconds and one property crime was committed every 3.1 seconds in the United States. (See Table 1.9.) The Crime Clock is not intended to imply that these crimes were committed at regular intervals; rather, it displays the relative frequency with which these crimes occur. Unlike the per capita crime rate, this frequency does not take into account population increases.

TABLE 1.5
Arrests of persons under 15, 18, 21, and 25 years of age, 2005
[10,974 agencies; 2005 estimated population 217,722,329]
Offense chargedTotal all agesNumber of persons arrestedPercent of total all ages
Under 15Under 18Under 21Under 25Under 15Under 18Under 21Under 25
aViolent crimes are offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
*Less than one-tenth of 1 percent.
Source: "Table 41. Arrests of Persons under 15, 18, 21, and 25 Years of Age, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_41.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Total10,369,819479,9261,582,0683,020,3864,588,8844.615.329.144.3
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter10,335979292,8645,1290.99.027.749.6
Forcible rape18,7331,0552,8885,5858,3345.615.429.844.5
Robbery85,3094,98621,51539,47052,9155.825.246.362.0
Aggravated assault331,46915,46845,15082,245132,1794.713.624.839.9
Burglary220,39119,13557,50696,832127,7408.726.143.958.0
Larceny-theft854,85677,340219,881343,938446,3209.025.740.252.2
Motor vehicle theft108,3016,44327,66646,37662,9805.925.542.858.2
Arson12,0123,4635,8346,9827,95828.848.658.166.3
    Violent crimea445,84621,60670,482130,164198,5574.815.829.244.5
    Property crimea1,195,560106,381310,887494,128644,9988.926.041.353.9
Other assaults958,47774,377182,578275,372405,8677.819.028.742.3
Forgery and counterfeiting87,3463703,09614,24529,1710.43.516.333.4
Fraud231,7211,0335,88227,05361,4320.42.511.726.5
Embezzlement14,097498563,6816,2200.36.126.144.1
Stolen property; buying, receiving, possessing99,1734,20216,50133,16349,3214.216.633.449.7
Vandalism206,35131,92576,817109,002136,75015.537.252.866.3
Weapons; carrying, possessing, etc.142,87811,24633,06958,27883,6497.923.140.858.5
Prostitution and commercialized vice62,6631631,2047,85716,5240.31.912.526.4
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)67,0726,05212,19619,52326,8169.018.229.140.0
Drug abuse violations1,357,84122,596141,035376,106621,1041.710.427.745.7
Gambling8,1011991,4643,0854,4112.518.138.154.5
Offenses against the family and children93,1721,2303,9019,87321,2121.34.210.622.8
Driving under the influence997,33823612,956103,277296,129*1.310.429.7
Liquor laws437,9238,70692,556302,455334,8622.021.169.176.5
Drunkenness412,9301,39311,81650,135116,9780.32.912.128.3
Disorderly conduct501,12959,395148,795210,857284,99311.929.742.156.9
Vagrancy24,3721,0823,4165,4507,5584.414.022.431.0
All other offenses (except traffic)2,837,80670,131266,885600,5281,055,7672.59.421.237.2
Suspicion2,747974008781,2893.514.632.046.9
Curfew and loitering law violations104,05429,382104,054104,054104,05428.2100.0100.0100.0
Runaways81,22228,07581,22281,22281,22234.6100.0100.0100.0

Murder

The FBI defines murder and nonnegligent manslaughter as "the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another." The figures for murder do not include suicides, accidents, or justifiable homicides by either citizens or law enforcement officers. In 2005 a murder was committed in the United States every 31.5 minutes according to the UCR Crime Clock; the murder rate was 5.6 murders for every 100,000 inhabitants. (See Table 1.1.)

MURDER RATE CHANGES

As reported by the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005, the total number of homicides in 2005 was 16,692, compared with 21,606 in 1995. However, although the rates of murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined by 15% between 1996 and 2005, they increased by 4.1% between 2001 and 2005 and by 3.4% between 2004 and 2005. (See Table 1.1.)

MURDER RATE BY AREA

The South, the nation's most populous region, had the highest incidence of murder in 2005, accounting for 42.6% of all homicides in the United States, according to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. Western states were next, at 23.6%, followed by the Midwest at 19.4%, and the Northeast at 14.4%. (See Table 1.10.) As seen in Table 1.3, metropolitan areas reported a murder rate in 2005 of 6.1 victims per 100,000 population. Rates for murder during 2005 were 3.4 per 100,000 population in cities outside metropolitan areas and 3.5 victims per 100,000 population in rural counties.

SEX, RACE, AND AGE

In 2005, about two-thirds of accused murder offenders were male (65.3%) and 7.3% were female; in 27.4% of cases, information about the sex of the offender was not provided. Of 17,029 murder offenders in 2005, 3,322 males and 284 females were

TABLE 1.6
Arrest trends by sex in a ten-year period, 1996–2005
[8,009 agencies; 2005 estimated population 178,017,991; 1996 estimated population 159,290,470]
Offense chargedMaleFemale
TotalUnder 18TotalUnder 18
19962005Percent change19962005Percent change19962005Percent change19962005Percent change
aDoes not include suspicion.
bViolent crimes are offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Source: "Table 33. Ten-Year Arrest Trends, by Sex, 1996–2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_33.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Totala6,773,9006,261,672−7.61,258,168897,305−28.71,845,7991,982,649+7.4445,332381,643−14.3
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter8,5727,114−17.01,290664−48.5992875−11.89875−23.5
Forcible rape18,51214,924−19.43,1532,332−26.0233205−12.04960+22.4
Robbery73,19260,096−17.922,96215,118−34.27,7887,745−0.62,3561,673−29.0
Aggravated assault260,469224,080−14.036,97228,312−23.454,93657,923+5.49,1528,655−5.4
Burglary195,124153,888−21.176,49041,672−45.525,67427,085+5.58,7585,744−34.4
Larceny-theft595,297421,828−29.1212,281105,513−50.3310,666270,765−12.8106,88077,300−27.7
Motor vehicle theft86,40567,522−21.936,18816,172−55.313,91314,638+5.26,7693,583−47.1
Arson9,9728,114−18.65,7944,230−27.01,6261,602−1.5712685−3.8
    Violent crimeb360,745306,214−15.164,37746,426−27.963,94966,748+4.411,65510,463−10.2
    Property crimeb886,798651,352−26.6330,753167,587−49.3351,879314,090−10.7123,11987,312−29.1
Other assaults597,763554,044−7.399,61095,555−4.1158,366183,431+15.838,24047,402+24.0
Forgery and counterfeiting45,25043,068−4.83,3881,768−47.826,85327,670+3.02,045832−59.3
Fraud137,874104,201−24.44,5363,065−32.4117,28889,338−23.82,4111,714−28.9
Embezzlement5,5455,979+7.8486419−13.84,6076,108+32.6394332−15.7
Stolen property; buying, receiving, possessing78,15666,459−15.023,14011,540−50.113,67616,312+19.33,5072,362−32.6
Vandalism163,890139,529−14.978,22654,939−29.826,17928,837+10.29,6818,758−9.5
Weapons; carrying, possessing, etc.113,685103,184−9.228,65724,052−16.19,3318,870−4.92,4102,782+15.4
Prostitution and commercialized vice20,52414,615−28.8303202−33.328,41227,026−4.9420668+59.0
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)52,29648,112−8.09,8299,437−4.04,1884,298+2.67911,000+26.4
Drug abuse violations688,006832,707+21.0100,56886,895−13.6142,678202,137+41.716,83219,255+14.4
Gambling5,5412,942−46.9528378−28.4811504−37.93517−51.4
Offenses against the family and children68,21155,393−18.83,0891,894−38.716,24817,230+6.01,7501,173−33.0
Driving under the influence745,658658,705−11.79,1918,187−10.9132,069157,538+19.31,8092,363+30.6
Liquor laws286,425255,746−10.766,53749,116−26.278,36793,228+19.029,14927,640−5.2
Drunkenness391,721284,892−27.312,1566,999−42.455,04650,838−7.62,6652,095−21.4
Disorderly conduct324,503279,714−13.883,41878,552−5.895,72999,725+4.229,27937,870+29.3
Vagrancy12,89313,752+6.71,6541,082−34.63,5313,624+2.6344313−9.0
All other offenses (except traffic)1,651,9221,751,008+6.0201,228159,156−20.9410,986518,699+26.263,19060,894−3.6
Suspicion3,2092,211−31.11,118254−77.3816358−56.1335106−68.4
Curfew and loitering law violations84,19461,069−27.584,19461,069−27.535,21326,589−24.535,21326,589−24.5
Runaways52,30028,987−44.652,30028,987−44.670,39339,809−43.470,39339,809−43.4
TABLE 1.7
Arrests by race, 2005
[10,971 agencies; 2005 estimated population 217,692,433]
Offense chargedTotal arrestsPercent distributiona
TotalWhiteBlackAmerican Indian or Alaskan NativeAsian or Pacific IslanderTotalWhiteBlackAmerican Indian or Alaskan NativeAsian or Pacific Islander
aBecause of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
bViolent crimes are offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Source: Adapted from "Table 43. Arrests, by Race, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_43.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Total10,189,6917,117,0402,830,778135,877105,996100.069.827.81.31.0
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter10,0834,9554,898109121100.049.148.61.11.2
Forcible rape18,40511,9806,015222188100.065.132.71.21.0
Robbery84,78535,79647,700512777100.042.256.30.60.9
Aggravated assault329,247208,253113,0624,3373,595100.063.334.31.31.1
Burglary217,894151,75762,0452,1961,896100.069.628.51.00.9
Larceny-theft846,213586,393236,60811,33211,880100.069.328.01.31.4
Motor vehicle theft107,60467,57837,4891,1031,434100.062.834.81.01.3
Arson11,7809,0262,493124137100.076.621.21.11.2
    Violent crimeb442,520260,984171,6755,1804,681100.059.038.81.21.1
    Property crimeb1,183,491814,754338,63514,75515,347100.068.828.61.21.3
Other assaults944,820615,268305,39813,52910,625100.065.132.31.41.1
Forgery and counterfeiting83,74759,22123,104471951100.070.727.60.61.1
Fraud217,650149,61865,4241,2431,365100.068.730.10.60.6
Embezzlement13,7309,2014,26297170100.067.031.00.71.2
Stolen property; buying, receiving, possessing97,07562,21533,184748928100.064.134.20.81.0
Vandalism203,578152,62145,8073,0952,055100.075.022.51.51.0
Weapons; carrying, possessing, etc.141,28683,83055,1681,0111,277100.059.339.00.70.9
Prostitution and commercialized vice62,50134,43626,1046121,349100.055.141.81.02.2
Sex offenses (except forcible rape and prostitution)64,39547,39215,647687669100.073.624.31.11.0
Drug abuse violations1,330,802861,645451,3758,6009,182100.064.733.90.60.7
Gambling8,0642,0875,73124222100.025.971.10.32.8
Offenses against the family and children89,17061,12225,8341,683531100.068.529.01.90.6
Driving under the influence976,797863,95588,65613,68210,504100.088.49.11.41.1
Liquor laws430,992367,99146,76911,9164,316100.085.410.92.81.0
Drunkenness399,059334,15853,7098,9762,216100.083.713.52.20.6
Disorderly conduct493,708316,467165,8507,7123,679100.064.133.61.60.7
Vagrancy24,35914,4529,364412131100.059.338.41.70.5
All other offenses (except traffic)2,794,3721,881,076842,60939,02231,665100.067.330.21.41.1
Suspicion2,7441,840885127100.067.132.30.40.3
Curfew and loitering law violations103,88664,88136,9288761,201100.062.535.50.81.2
Runaways80,94557,82618,6601,5342,925100.071.423.11.93.6

under the age of 22, while 866 males and 76 females were under the age of 18. Of murder offenders in 2005 for whom race was known, 37.6% were black, 32% were white, and 2% were of other races. (See Table 1.11.)

Offenders and victims were usually of the same race, according to the FBI data reported in Crime in the United States, 2005. Of 3,785 white murder victims in 2005, 3,150 were killed by white offenders. Similarly, of 3,289 black victims of homicide, most (2,984) were killed by black offenders. Males and females were the victims of male offenders in most cases, although female murder offenders were more likely to kill males than females in 2005.

MURDER CIRCUMSTANCES

In 2005 relatives, acquaintances, or others with personal relationships to the victims committed three-quarters (74.6%) of all murders in which the relationship of the victim to the offender was known, according to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. (More than 45% of murder-victim relationships were unknown.) Of 14,860 murders in 2005, 594 wives were the victims of their husbands, and 461 girlfriends were the victims of their boyfriends. More sons (245) were murdered than daughters (190). Arguments resulted in 3,903 murders in 2005, up slightly from 3,816 in 2001. Robbery was the felony offense most likely to result in murder in 2005, as it has been since 2001. Juvenile gang killing accounted for 754 murders in 2005, down from 862 in 2001. (See Table 1.12.)

Sixty-eight percent of all murders were committed with firearms in 2005, according to the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. (See below for more information on firearms and crime.) Knives were used in 12.9% of murders; blunt instruments in 4%; personal weapons (fists, feet, and the like) in 6%; and other weapons, such as poisons and explosives, in the remaining 9.1%.

TABLE 1.8
Federal criminal justice budget authorities, fiscal years 2003 (actual) and 2004–09 (estimated)a
[In millions of dollars]
Type of program2003 actualEstimated
200420052006200720082009
Note: These data are from the budget submitted by the President to Congress in 2004.
aDetail may not add to total because of rounding.
bIncludes Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and interagency crime and drug enforcement programs.
cDepartment of Homeland Security.
dInternal Revenue Service.
eFederal prison system and detention trustee program.
Source: Ann L. Pastore and Kathleen Maguire, editors, "Table 1.12. Federal Criminal Justice Budget Authorities, Fiscal Years 2003 (actual) and 2004–2009 (estimated)," in Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2003, 31st ed., U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005, http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/pdf/t112.pdf (accessed January 21, 2007)
    Total$39,689$42,719$41,958$42,202$43,573$44,904$47,189
Discretionary, total35,74136,99338,14639,30440,60241,91844,188
Federal law enforcement activities, total18,77619,49520,08220,71021,38122,08822,837
    Criminal investigationsb6,2136,2536,4336,6326,8447,0707,309
    Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives801827852889923958996
    Border and transportation security directorate activitiesc8,6029,6189,6909,97110,27910,60510,951
    Equal Employment Opportunity Commission322325337351363377392
    Tax law, criminal investigationsd458445466485507529551
    U.S. Secret Service1,0651,1341,1761,2181,2631,3091,359
    Other law enforcement activities1,3158931,1281,1641,2021,2401,279
Federal litigative and judicial activities, total7,9788,2088,5448,8369,1999,52610,747
    Civil and criminal prosecution and representation3,0043,0333,1923,3073,4843,6124,637
    Representation of indigents in civil cases337335339344350357364
    Federal judicial and other litigative activities4,6374,8405,0135,1855,3655,5575,746
Correctional activitiese5,2595,5645,7435,9236,1166,3226,540
    Criminal justice assistance, total3,7283,7263,7773,8353,9063,9824,064
    High-intensity drug trafficking areas program195223226229233238242
    Law enforcement assistance, community policing, and other justice programs3,5333,5033,5513,6063,6733,7443,822
Mandatory, total3,9485,7263,8122,8982,9712,9863,001
Federal law enforcement activities, total−583−3154931,0771,1251,1141,102
    Border and transportation security directorate activitiesc2,3012,7082,8732,8812,9132,9462,980
    Immigration fees−1,981−2,079−2,240−2,265−2,293−2,341−2,391
    Customs fees−1,326−1,396−591−6−6−7−7
    Treasury forfeiture fund253251251251251251251
    Other mandatory law enforcement programs170201200216260265269
Federal litigative and judicial activities, total1,1861,2131,2711,2071,2311,2561,282
Federal forfeiture fund530489500448458468478
Federal judicial officers' salaries and expenses and other mandatory programs656724771759773788804
Correctional activities−3−3−3−3−3−3−3
Criminal justice assistance, total3,3484,8312,051617618619620
    Crime victims' fund5926081,606567567567567
    September 11 victims' compensation2,7004,1743960000
    Public safety officers' benefits56494950515253
TABLE 1.9
Crime clock, 2005
Source: "Crime Clock 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/about/crime_clock.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
Every 22.7 secondsOne violent crime
Every 31.5 minutesOne murder
Every 5.6 minutesOne forcible rape
Every 1.3 minutesOne robbery
Every 36.5 secondsOne aggravated assault
Every 3.1 secondsOne property crime
Every 14.6 secondsOne burglary
Every 4.7 secondsOne larceny-theft
Every 25.5 secondsOne motor vehicle theft

ARRESTS

Because murder is considered the most serious crime, it receives the most police attention and, therefore, has the highest arrest rate of all felonies. According to the 2005 UCR on murder, about 62.1% of murders in 2005 were cleared by arrest. The rate was somewhat lower in large cities (populations of 250,000 or more), with 56.5% of murders and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses cleared by arrest in 2005. (See Table 1.13.) Making an arrest does not mean that the alleged offender is guilty or will be convicted in criminal or juvenile court.

Rape

The FBI defines forcible rape as "the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Assaults and attempts to commit rape by force or threat of force are included; however, statutory rape (without force) [intercourse with a consenting minor] and other sex offenses are excluded." Rape is a crime of violence in which the victim may suffer serious physical injury and long-term psychological pain. In 2005, 93,934 forcible rapes were reported to law enforcement agencies, an increase of 3.4% from 2001. (See Table 1.1.) Forcible rape totals decreased by 2.4% between 1996 and 2005. The national rate of forcible rape in 2005 was 31.7 per 100,000 females; this represents a 12.7% rate decrease from 1996.

TABLE 1.10
Violent and property crime rates by offense and region, 2005
RegionPopulationViolent crimeMurder and nonnegligent manslaughterForcible rapeRobberyAggravated assaultProperty crimeBurglaryLarceny-theftMotor vehicle theft
*Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
Note: Although arson data are included in the trend and clearance tables, sufficient data are not available to estimate totals for this offense. Therefore, no arson data are published in this table.
Note: The Northeast includes: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Midwest includes: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The South includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The West includes: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Source: "Table 3. Crime in the United States: Offense and Population Percent Distribution within Region, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_03.html (accessed January 23, 2007)
    United States total*100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
Northeast18.415.514.412.819.413.912.310.813.110.5
Midwest22.319.619.425.419.818.821.220.421.918.3
South36.341.942.637.938.244.241.144.841.333.4
West23.023.023.623.822.623.125.524.023.737.9
TABLE 1.11
Murder offenders by age, sex, and race, 2005
AgeTotalSexRace
MaleFemaleUnknownWhiteBlackOtherUnknown
aBecause of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
bDoes not include unknown ages.
Source: "Expanded Homicide Data Table 3. Murder Offenders, by Age, Sex, and Race, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_03.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Total17,02911,1171,2464,6665,4526,3792994,899
Percent distributiona100.065.37.327.432.037.62.028.8
Under 18b944866762356552315
Under 22b3,6113,32228451,3822,08411530
18 and overb10,3549,1951,141184,9115,046258139
Infant (under 1)00000000
1 to 400000000
5 to 800000000
9 to 12117406500
13 to 16467426410176272172
17 to 191,8011,67612326541,0755913
20 to 243,0162,75126231,2431,6578036
25 to 291,9351,72720628591,0054427
30 to 341,09093315615315182615
35 to 3987375012304913482014
40 to 447006059504042701214
45 to 49586486973361206136
50 to 54330286413197114118
55 to 592001703001296551
60 to 6410082180722701
65 to 69787080611520
70 to 74433580331000
75 and over685756501107
Unknown5,7311,056294,646185781104,755

Rape is a very intimate crime, and many rape victims are unwilling, afraid, or ashamed to discuss it. As a result, it is relatively unlikely to be reported to law enforcement authorities. Callie Marie Rennison of the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that between 1992 and 2000, 63% of completed rapes, 65% of attempted rapes, and 74% of completed and attempted sexual assaults against women were not reported to a law enforcement agency (Rape and Sexual Assault: Reporting to Police and Medical Attention, 1992–2000, August 2002, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/rsarp00.pdf).

TABLE 1.12
Murder circumstances, 2001–05
Circumstances2001*2002200320042005
*The murder and nonnegligent homicides that occurred as a result of the events of September 11, 2001, are not included.
Source: "Expanded Homicide Data Table 11. Murder Circumstances, 2001–2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/expanded_information/data/shrtable_11.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
    Total14,06114,26314,46514,21014,860
Felony type total:2,3642,3402,3852,0992,161
Rape6144433744
Robbery1,0801,1111,061993921
Burglary8097947888
Larceny-theft1716211712
Motor vehicle theft2215323631
Arson7159772837
Prostitution and commercialized vice5816913
Other sex offenses7810149
Narcotic drug laws575664679558589
Gambling35672
Other—not specified443313346322415
Suspected felony type72668711944
Other than felony type total:7,0737,1857,1307,0087,044
Romantic triangle1181299897117
Child killed by babysitter3739271726
Brawl due to influence of alcohol152149128140120
Brawl due to influence of narcotics11885539997
Argument over money or property198203220221211
Other arguments3,6183,5773,8503,7723,692
Gangland killings76751149596
Juvenile gang killings862911819805754
Institutional killings812131712
Sniper attack710212
Other—not specified1,8791,9951,8061,7441,917
Unknown4,5524,6724,8634,9845,611

From 1979 through 1992, the reported rape rate increased 23%. Most experts attributed at least part of the increase in reported rape cases to a more sympathetic attitude to rape victims by law enforcement authorities and a greater awareness of women's rights. After peaking in 1992, the rate has steadily declined. (See Table 1.1.)

WHEN AND WHERE

In keeping with a five-year trend, rapes in 2004 occurred most frequently during the summer months of July and August, according to FBI data. (See Table 1.14.) The rate of rape in metropolitan statistical areas in 2005 was 31.8 per 100,000 females. The rate of rape was highest in cities outside of metropolitan areas and lower in rural counties. (See Table 1.3.) Regionally, the highest total volume of rapes (37.9% of all rapes) occurred in the South, and 12.8% of all forcible rapes in 2005 occurred in the Northeast. (See Table 1.10.)

ARRESTS

Less than half (41.3%) of reported forcible rapes were cleared by arrest in 2005. (See Table 1.13.) Of persons arrested for forcible rape, 44.5% were under age twenty-five, and 15.4% were under age eighteen. (See Table 1.5.) Of those arrested for rape by agencies that reported race information in 2005, 65.1% were white and 32.7% were black. (See Table 1.7.)

Robbery

The FBI defines robbery as "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear." An estimated 417,122 robberies were reported during 2005, 3.9% more than in 2004. (See Table 1.1.) The number of robberies declined by 1.5% between 2001 and 2005 and by 22.1% between 1996 and 2005. Robbery represented 30% of the nation's violent crimes in 2005, according to the FBI.

RATE

The robbery rate in 2005 was 140.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, a 2.9% increase from 2004, as reported by the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. However, the rate represents a decrease of 5.2% compared with 2001 and of 30.3% compared with 1996. (See Table 1.1.)

TABLE 1.13
Percent of offenses cleared by arrest, 2005
Population groupViolent crimeMurder and nonnegligent manslaughterForcible rapeRobberyAggravated assaultProperty crimeBurglaryLarceny-theftMotor vehicle theftArsonaNumber of agencies2005 estimated population
aNot all agencies submit reports for arson to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As a result, the number of reports the FBI uses to compute the percent of offenses cleared for arson is less than the number it uses to compute the percent of offenses cleared for all other offenses.
bSuburban area includes law enforcement agencies in cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants and county law enforcement agencies that are within a metropolitan statistical area. Suburban area excludes all metropolitan agencies associated with a principal city. The agencies associated with suburban areas also appear in other groups within this table.
Source: "Table 25. Percent of Offenses Cleared by Arrest or Exceptional Means, by Population Group, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_25.html (accessed January 23, 2007)
Total all agencies:Offenses known1,197,08914,43082,118353,050747,4918,935,7141,906,9805,915,8431,112,89164,23113,441255,115,278
Percent cleared by arrest45.562.141.325.455.216.312.7181317.9
Total citiesOffenses known934,95411,12560,170304,134559,5256,961,6341,392,3154,683,212886,10746,8979,618167,119,985
Percent cleared by arrest42.960.739.824.952.716.212.218.311.917.3
Group I (all cities 250,000 and over)Offenses known408,8755,78319,367156,850226,8752,206,861464,8821,326,142415,83718,8016741,685,502
Percent cleared by arrest36.256.53921.245.812.510.214.29.412.6
    1,000,000 and over (Group 1 subset)Offenses known127,6231,9045,68153,62366,415669,625135,906394,296139,4236,045813,896,753
Percent cleared by arrest34.961.143.521.744.112.210.414.28.28.9
    500,000 to 999,999 (Group 1 subset)Offenses known149,2332,1206,72455,51284,877809,352175,359486,968147,0256,1222214,422,520
Percent cleared by arrest33.854.135.618.94311.69.213.19.616.9
    250,000 to 499,999 (Group 1 subset)Offenses known132,0191,7596,96247,71575,583727,884153,617444,878129,3896,6343713,366,229
Percent cleared by arrest40.254.538.723.450.613.611.215.410.411.8
Group II (100,000 to 249,999)Offenses known158,6681,9709,75953,20193,7381,192,615239,579788,916164,1207,60317325,983,746
Percent cleared by arrest41.863.539.72551.1151117.110.715.8
Group III (50,000 to 99,999)Offenses known133,9661,3629,85540,63782,1121,107,071226,543758,923121,6056,59641628,490,290
Percent cleared by arrest4658.138.328.355.517.312.219.711.818.3
Group IV (25,000 to 49,999)Offenses known90,9948357,92625,09657,137886,669169,837637,07579,7575,34871424,684,401
Percent cleared by arrest49.769.238.931.25918.712.720.615.520
Group V (10,000 to 24,999)Offenses known75,2816437,21817,67549,745828,044155,566611,43361,0454,4051,59725,289,898
Percent cleared by arrest5474.24233.862.72115.622.519.126.4
Group VI (under 10,000)Offenses known67,1705326,04510,67549,918740,374135,908560,72343,7434,1446,65120,986,148
Percent cleared by arrest58.672.743.83665.119.716.420.223.927
Metropolitan countiesOffenses known208,8392,42215,57645,051145,7901,551,069378,400981,519191,15013,3651,59863,038,742
Percent cleared by arrest53.163.245.127.161.81613.51715.518
Nonmetropolitan countiesOffenses known53,2968836,3723,86542,176423,011136,265251,11235,6343,9692,22524,956,551
Percent cleared by arrest61.676.74641.765.51816.317.82624.7
Suburban areabOffenses known350,4723,58127,65081,090238,1513,099,019660,5242,112,131326,36422,0676,688109,688,618
Percent cleared by arrest52.96543.62961.917.413.818.815.820
TABLE 1.14
Forcible rape, by month, 2000–04
[Percent distribution]
Month20002001200220032004
Source: Table 2.17. Forcible Rape by Month, Percent Distribution, 2000–2004, in Crime in the United States, 2004, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, February 17, 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_04/offenses_reported/violent_crime/forcible_rape.html (accessed January 24, 2007)
January87.77.67.98.1
February7.57.176.87.7
March8.58.47.88.38.7
April88.38.688.4
May98.8999
June9.18.798.88.5
July9.59.79.69.59.2
August9.39.49.59.69
September8.48.69.18.98.4
October8.38.58.48.48.5
November7.57.67.47.87.6
December6.97.26.97.17
TABLE 1.15
Number and percent change of offenses by type, 2004–05
ClassificationNumber of offenses 2005Percent change from 2004Percent distribution*Average value
*Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
Source: Table 23. Offense Analysis, Number and Percent Change, 2004–2005, in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_23.html (accessed January 7, 2007)
Murder12,068+3.9—
Forcible rape70,472−1.7—
Robbery:Total298,403+4.6100.0$1,230
Robbery by location:Street/highway131,666+5.844.11,005
Commercial house42,672+3.514.31,670
Gas or service station8,499+9.12.81,104
Convenience store17,029−0.35.7625
Residence42,324+9.714.21,335
Bank6,266−8.92.14,169
Miscellaneous49,947+1.316.71,217
Burglary:Total1,612,683+0.8100.01,725
Burglary by location:Residence (dwelling):1,060,513+1.165.81,745
    Residence night301,431+1.218.71,331
    Residence day500,972+2.631.11,877
    Residence unknown258,110−1.916.01,971
Nonresidence (store, office, etc.):552,170+0.234.21,683
    Nonresidence night228,743−0.114.21,485
    Nonresidence day165,487+2.610.31,583
    Nonresidence unknown157,940−1.69.82,076
Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft):Total5,036,548−2.1100.0764
Larceny-theft by type:Pocket-picking21,696−6.00.4346
Purse-snatching31,214−5.20.6377
Shoplifting698,233−5.313.9163
From motor vehicles (except accessories)1,301,026−1.425.8691
Motor vehicle accessories514,703−5.410.2457
Bicycles184,722−2.33.7268
From buildings632,933−0.712.61,155
From coin-operated machines30,356−10.50.6233
All others1,621,665−0.432.21,106
Larceny-theft by value:Over $2002,016,563+0.240.01,828
$50 to $2001,130,650−2.622.4111
Under $501,889,335−4.237.519
Motor vehicle theft973,451+0.2—6,173

Robbery is largely a big-city crime. Of 417,122 total robberies reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide in 2005, 400,792 occurred in metropolitan areas—a rate of 163.1 per 100,000 population. In contrast, the rate of robberies was 57.5 per 100,000 people in cities outside metropolitan areas and 15.7 per 100,000 people in rural counties. (See Table 1.3.)

AVERAGE LOSSES

The FBI estimates that in 2005, the average value of items stolen from robbery victims was $1,230 per incident. Average dollar losses in 2005 ranged from $4,169 for a bank robbery to $625 for a convenience-store robbery. Nearly half (44.1%) of robberies occurred on streets or highways. Similar percentages of robberies occurred in commercial establishments (14.3%) and residences (14.2%). (See Table 1.15.)

ARRESTS

In 2005 law authorities cleared about one-fourth (25.4%) of reported robbery offenses nationwide. (See Table 1.13.) Of 67,841 people arrested for robbery by 8,009 U.S. agencies in 2005, 60,096 (88.6%) of those arrested were male, and 7,745 (11.4%) were female. (See Table 1.6.) An analysis by race conducted with data from 10,971 reporting agencies in 2005 indicated that blacks represented 56.3% of those arrested for robbery, compared with 42.2% who were white. (See Table 1.7.)

TABLE 1.16
Weapons used in aggravated assaults by region, 2005
RegionTotal all weapons*FirearmsKnives or cutting instrumentsOther weapons (clubs, blunt objects, etc.)Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)
*Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
Source: "Aggravated Assault Table: Aggravated Assault, Types of Weapons Used, Percent Distribution within Region, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/expanded_information/data/agassaulttable.html (accessed January 8, 2007)
    Total100.021.018.935.125.0
Northeast100.015.620.433.330.7
Midwest100.021.317.033.128.6
South100.022.719.936.121.3
West100.020.017.635.127.3

Aggravated Assault

The FBI defines aggravated assault as "an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury…. This type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by other means likely to produce death or great bodily harm." In 2005, 862,947 offenses of aggravated assault were reported to law enforcement agencies nationwide. The 2005 aggravated assault rate, 291.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, showed an increase of 1.8% over 2004. In contrast, the rate of aggravated assault declined by 5.1% between 2001 and 2005 and by 16.8% between 1996 and 2005. (See Table 1.1.)

Metropolitan statistical areas reported a rate of aggravated assault of 308.6 per 100,000 people in 2005, compared with 273.2 per 100,000 in cities outside metropolitan areas and 162.2 per 100,000 in rural counties. (See Table 1.3.) Aggravated assault was more likely to occur in the South (44.2% of all cases), followed by the West (23.1%), the Midwest (18.8%), and the Northeast (13.9%). (See Table 1.10.)

WEAPONS USED

More than one-third (35.1%) of all aggravated assaults in 2005 were committed with such weapons as clubs or other blunt objects. Personal weapons—hands, fists, and feet—were used in 25% of the offenses, firearms in 21%, and knives or cutting instruments in 18.9%. By region, 22.7% of assaults were committed with firearms in Southern states, 21.3% in Midwestern states, 20% in Western states, and 15.6% in Northeastern states. (See Table 1.16.)

ARRESTS

According to FBI data, law enforcement agencies cleared an average of 55.2% of the reported cases of aggravated assault in 2005 (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/clearances/index.html). Almost three-quarters (74.4%) of violent crime arrests (449,297 of 603,503) were for aggravated assault. (See Table 1.4.) Offenders under the age of eighteen made up 13.6% of all those arrested for aggravated assault. (See Table 1.5.) In an analysis of data from 8,009 reporting agencies, males comprised 79.5% of aggravated assault offenders (224,080 of 282,003; see Table 1.6.) Among those arrested for aggravated assault in 2005 by agencies that provided race information to the FBI, 63.3% were white, and 34.3% were black. (See Table 1.7.)

Burglary

The FBI defines burglary as "the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. To classify an offense as a burglary, the use of force to gain entry need not have occurred." An estimated 2.2 million burglaries were reported in 2005, up 0.5% from 2004. Burglaries in 2005 increased by 1.8% over 2001 but declined by 14.1% compared with 1996. (See Table 1.1.)

In 2005 the burglary rate was 726.7 per 100,000 persons, a 0.5% decrease from 2004. Burglary rates declined by 2% compared with the 2001 rate, and by 23.1% compared with the 1996 rate. (See Table 1.1.) The burglary rate in 2005 was highest in cities outside metropolitan areas (800.9 per 100,000 inhabitants), followed by metropolitan areas (743.7 per 100,000). Rural counties reported the lowest rate, at 542.3 per 100,000 population. (See Table 1.3.) The highest burglary volume was in the most populous region, the South, with 44.8% of total burglaries. Total burglary volume was lower in the West (24% of all burglaries) and Midwest (20.4%), and lowest in the Northeast (10.8%). (See Table 1.10.)

LOSSES

Of the 1.6 million burglaries reported in 2005, 65.8% were residential, and 34.2% involved other properties, such as stores and offices. The average value of items taken in burglaries was $1,725 per incident. Nonresidential losses from burglary averaged $1,683, compared with $1,745 for residential burglaries. (See Table 1.15.)

ARRESTS

Law officers cleared 12.7% of reported burglaries in 2005 through arrest. (See Table 1.13.) In 2005 juveniles under age eighteen accounted for 26.1% of all burglary arrests. (See Table 1.5.) Of those arrested for burglary by 10,971 agencies that reported race information, 69.6% were white, and 28.5% were black. (See Table 1.7.) In cases reported by agencies that provided information about the sex of offenders, about 85% (153,888 of 180,973) of those arrested for burglary in 2005 were males. (See Table 1.6.)

Larceny-Theft

The FBI defines larceny-theft as "the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession … of another" in which no use of force or fraud occurs. This crime category includes offenses such as shoplifting, pocket-picking, purse-snatching, thefts from motor vehicles, bicycle thefts, and so on. It does not include embezzlement, con games, forgery, and passing bad checks. (See Figure 1.2.)

In 2005 law enforcement agencies reported 6.8 million larceny-theft offenses for a rate of 2,286.3 per 100,000 people. The rate of larceny-theft per 100,000 population declined by 3.2% between 2004 and 2005, by 8% between 2001 and 2005, and by 23.3% between 1996 and 2005. (See Table 1.1.)

The larceny-theft rate in 2005 was 3,001.8 per 100,000 inhabitants in cities outside metropolitan areas and 2,386.1 per 100,000 in metropolitan areas. Rural counties reported an average rate of 1,016.7 larceny-thefts per 100,000 residents. (See Table 1.3.) The South accounted for 41.3% of all larceny-theft offenses, followed by the West (23.7%), Midwest (21.9%), and Northeast (13.1%). (See Table 1.10.)

LOSSES

The average value of property stolen (excluding motor vehicles) in 2005 was $764. The average value of items stolen by pocket-picking was $346, while the average amount stolen by purse-snatching was $377. Shoplifting resulted in an average loss of $163. (See Table 1.15.)

ARRESTS

About 18% of larceny-thefts reported in 2005 were cleared by arrests (See Table 1.13.) Of those arrested for larceny-theft by 10,974 agencies nationwide, 25.7% were under eighteen years of age. (See Table 1.5.) Females were arrested more often for larceny-theft than for any other offense in 2005. In a ten-year analysis of arrest trends covering 8,009 agencies, females represented 39% of those arrested for larceny-theft (270,765 of 692,593). (See Table 1.6.) About two-thirds (69.3%) of those arrested for larceny-theft in 2005 were white, compared with 28% who were black, among those arrested by agencies that reported race information. (See Table 1.7.)

Motor Vehicle Theft

The FBI defines motor vehicle theft as "the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle." In 2005 just over 1.2 million cases of auto theft were reported in the United States. The number of motor vehicle thefts in 2005 decreased by 0.2% from 2004. The rate of motor vehicle thefts was 416.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, down by 1.1% from 2004, 3.2% from 2001, and 20.7% from 1996. (See Table 1.1.)

In 2005 the highest rate of motor vehicle theft occurred in metropolitan areas (469.1 per 100,000 population). In cities outside metropolitan areas, the motor vehicle theft rate was 195.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, while rural counties had a rate of 141 per 100,000 population. (See Table 1.3.) The West accounted for 37.9% of vehicle thefts, followed by the South (33.4%), the Midwest (18.3%), and the Northeast (10.5%). (See Table 1.10.)

LOSSES

Total property losses due to motor vehicle theft in 2005 were $7.6 billion, or an average of $6,173 per stolen vehicle (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/property_crime/motor_vehicle_theft.html).

TYPES OF VEHICLES STOLEN

Automobiles were the most frequently stolen vehicle in 2005, representing 73.4% of motor vehicle thefts, as reported by the FBI in Crime in the United States, 2005. The Highway Loss Data Institute lists the make and series of cars for which the most theft claims are made. In mid-2006, the most frequent passenger vehicle theft claims among 2003–05 models were for the Cadillac Escalade, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab pickup (http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr060706.html).

ARRESTS

In 2005 law enforcement agencies reported that 13% of motor vehicle thefts were cleared by arrest. (See Table 1.13.) Of those arrested by 8,009 agencies nationwide, 82.2% (67,522 of 82,160) were male. (See Table 1.6.) In an analysis of data from 10,974 agencies, some 58.2% of persons arrested for motor vehicle theft in 2005 were under twenty-five years of age, and 25.5% were under age eighteen. (See Table 1.5.) Of those arrested by agencies that reported race information, 62.8% were white, and 34.8% were black. (See Table 1.7.)

Arson

The FBI defines arson as "any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc." Arson statistics do not include fires of suspicious or unknown origins that are not known for certain to be arson. In 2005, 67,504 arson offenses were reported by 13,868 law enforcement agencies nationwide that provided arson data to the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/property_crime/arson.html).

RATE

The FBI reported that the rate of arson in the United States in 2005 was 26.9 offenses per 100,000 people nationwide. The arson rate was highest in cities with a population of 250,000 to 499,999, at 50.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, while cities with 10,000 to 24,999 inhabitants had the lowest rate (18.3 per 100,000 population). Overall, cities reported an arson rate of 29.7 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005, while metropolitan counties reported a rate of 22.8, suburban counties reported an arson rate of 20.9, and rural counties reported 17.2 arsons per 100,000 people. (See Table 1.17.)

WHAT IS BEING BURNED?

In Crime in the United States, 2005 the FBI reports that structural arson accounted for 43.6% of all arson offenses, or 25,952 reported incidents that year. Residential property was involved in 26.9% of arsons in 2005, including 19.3% single occupancy residential and 7.6% other residential. Mobile property (including motor vehicles) was involved in 29% of all arson incidents in 2005.

ARRESTS

About 17.9% of all reported arsons were cleared by arrest in 2005. The highest clearance rate for arson, 27%, occurred in cities with less than 10,000 inhabitants, while the lowest clearance rate, 8.9%, was in cities of one million or more inhabitants. Metropolitan counties overall had a clearance rate of 18%, while rural counties reported a 24.7% clearance by arrest. (See Table 1.13.) In 2005 juveniles under the age of eighteen accounted for almost half (48.6%) of all arson arrests reported by nearly 11,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies; almost two-thirds of those arrested (66.3%) were under age twenty-five. (See Table 1.5.) Most people arrested for arson in 2005 were male (83.5%; 8,114 of 9,716), according to data gathered from 8,009 agencies, and more than seven out of ten (76.6%) were white, based on data from agencies that reported on race. (See Table 1.6 and Table 1.7.)

TABLE 1.17
Arson rate by population group, 2005
Population groupRate
*Suburban area includes law enforcement agencies in cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants and county law enforcement agencies that are within a metropolitan statistical area. Suburban area excludes all metropolitan agencies associated with a principal city. The agencies associated with suburban areas also appear in other groups within this table.
Source: "Arson Table 1. Arson Rate, by Population Group, 2005," in Crime in the United States, 2005, U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 2006, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/offenses/expanded_information/data/arsontable_01.html (accessed January 24, 2007)
    Total26.9
Total cities29.7
Group I (cities 250,000 and over)46.3
    (Cities 1,000,000 and over)44.0
    (Cities 500,000 to 999,999)45.1
    (Cities 250,000 to 499,999)50.7
Group II (cities 100,000 to 249,999)30.2
Group III (cities 50,000 to 99,999)24.0
Group IV (cities 25,000 to 49,999)22.6
Group V (cities 10,000 to 24,999)18.3
Group VI (cities under 10,000)21.4
Metropolitan counties22.8
Nonmetropolitan counties17.2
Suburban area*20.9

GUNS AND CRIME

In an analysis of data from the 1994 Injury Control and Risk Survey, R. M. Ikeda and colleagues found that 27.9% of respondents reported that they had a firearm in the household and had ready access to it. An additional 8.1% had a firearm but could not access it. Although 7.2% did not have a firearm in or around their home, they were able to retrieve and fire one within ten minutes ("Studying 'Exposure' to Firearms: Household Ownership v Access," Injury Prevention, March 2003, http://ip.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/9/1/53).

In 2005, of the 14,860 weapons used to commit murder, 10,100 were firearms, according to FBI data reported in Crime in the United States, 2005. Of those firearms, 7,543 were handguns. Among murders in which firearms were used, 74.7% of the firearms were handguns, 5.1% were shotguns, and 4.8% were rifles.

Crimes Committed with Firearms

From 1973 to 1993 the number of violent offenses (murders, robberies, and aggravated assaults) committed with firearms increased 61%, from 361,141 to 581, 697. However, from 1993 to 2005, the total number of violent crimes committed with firearms decreased by 36.7%, from 581,697 to 368,178. (See Table 1.18.)

TABLE 1.18
Crimes committed with firearms, 1973–2005
YearTotal firearm crimesMurders with firearmsRobberies with firearmsAggravated assaults firearms
NumberRateNumberRateNumberRateNumberRate
Source: "Crimes Committed with Firearms, 1973–2005," in Key Facts at a Glance, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/tables/guncrimetab.htm (accessed January 24, 2007)
1973361,141172.113,0726.2241,088114.9106,98151.0
1974326,235154.313,9876.6197,25793.3114,99154.4
1975342,495160.713,4966.3208,30797.7120,69356.6
1976307,252143.111,9825.6179,43083.6115,84154.0
1977301,590139.411,9505.5168,41877.9121,22256.0
1978307,603141.112,4375.7170,15278.0125,01557.3
1979340,202154.613,5826.2185,35284.2141,26964.2
1980392,083174.014,3776.4221,17098.1156,53569.5
1981396,197172.914,0526.1230,226100.5151,91866.3
1982372,477160.912,6485.5214,21992.5145,60962.9
1983330,419141.211,2584.8183,58178.5135,58057.9
1984329,232139.410,9904.7173,63473.5144,60961.2
1985340,942142.811,1414.7175,74873.6154,05264.5
1986376,064156.012,1815.1186,17477.2177,71073.7
1987365,709150.311,8794.9170,84170.2182,98975.2
1988385,934157.012,5535.1181,35273.8192,02978.1
1989410,039165.213,4165.4192,00677.3204,61882.4
1990492,671198.115,0256.0233,97394.1243,67398.0
1991548,667217.616,3766.5274,404108.8257,887102.3
1992565,575221.716,2046.4271,009106.2278,362109.1
1993581,697225.517,0486.6279,738108.5284,910110.5
1994542,529208.416,3146.3257,42898.9268,788103.2
1995504,421192.014,6865.6238,02390.6251,71295.8
1996458,458172.813,3195.0218,57982.4226,55985.4
1997414,530154.912,3464.6197,68673.9204,49876.4
1998364,776135.010,9774.1170,61163.1183,18867.8
1999338,535124.110,1283.7163,45859.9164,94960.5
2000341,831121.510,1793.6166,80759.3164,84558.6
2001354,754124.311,1063.9177,62762.3166,02158.2
2002357,822124.310,8083.8177,08861.5169,92659.0
2003347,705119.611,0413.8172,80259.4163,86356.3
2004338,587115.310,6503.6162,93855.5164,99856.2
2005368,178124.211,3513.8175,60859.2181,21961.1

According to Caroline Wolf Harlow in Firearm Use by Offenders (Bureau of Justice Statistics, November 2001, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf), some 18% of state prisoners and 15% of federal prisoners in 1997 reported that they carried a firearm at the time of their offenses. Of those, 9% of state prisoners and 2% of federal prisoners in 1997 said that they fired a gun during the commission of the offense for which they were incarcerated. Most (83% of state prisoners and 87% of federal prisoners) reported carrying a handgun.

Harlow reports that crimes committed with firearms often carry a higher penalty. About 40% of all state prisoners and 56% of all federal prisoners in the study who used firearms were given more severe sentences than prisoners who committed similar crimes without using a firearm. On average, state inmates who used a firearm received a sentence of eighteen years in prison, while those who committed similar crimes without firearms received twelve years.

Firearm-Related Deaths

The rate per 100,000 people of crimes involving firearms in the United States increased from 172.1 in 1973 to 225.5 in 1993. (See Table 1.18.) In 1994, the overall firearm crime rate began dropping and was 124.2 per 100,000 in 2005. The national rate of homicides with firearms remained relatively stable from 1973 to 1994, increasing from 6.2 to 6.3 per 100,000. However, starting in 1995 the rate of homicides with firearms began dropping; in 2005, the national rate was 3.8 per 100,000 people. The FBI reported that 9% of the 4.7 million violent crimes committed in 2005 involved a firearm.

According to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Policy and Research, there were 29,573 gun-related deaths in the United States in 2001, or about eighty deaths a day ("Factsheet: Firearm Injury and Death in the United States," 2004, http://www.jhsph.edu/gunpolicy/US_factsheet_2004.pdf). Of these deaths, 57% (16,869) were suicides, 38% (11,348) were homicides, and about 3% (802) were unintentional. Between 1993 and 2001, the number of gun-related deaths decreased by 25%.

Background Checks for Firearms

According to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (P.L. 103-159, 1993), criminal history background checks must be conducted on anyone who applies to purchase a firearm from a licensed firearm dealer. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that background checks were conducted on 8.3 million applications for firearm transfers or permits in 2005 under the Brady Act and similar state laws. This represents a 2.4% increase from 8.1 million applications in 2004. Of the 2005 applications, 60% (five million) were processed by the FBI and 40% (3.3 million) were processed by state and local agencies. Of the 8.3 million applications, 1.6% were rejected by the FBI or state and local agencies; 46% of these rejections were due to a felony conviction or indictment, and 15% were due to a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction or restraining order (Michael Bowling et al., Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2005, November 2006, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/bcft05.pdf).

Crime, Prisons, and Jails

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

Crime in the United States

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article

You Might Also Like