Violent crimes and property crimes reported to police in 2011 fell 3.8% and 0.5% respectively, according to finalized FBI data released Monday.
The FBI released its "Crime In the United States" annual crime report based on Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) data that law enforcement agencies submit annually to the FBI. The report essentially reiterated information initially released in June.
The report came in direct conflict with data released earlier this month by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting that violent crime jumped by about 18%, and property crimes rose by 11% between 2010 and 2011. The Bureau of Justice Statistics report also measures crimes not reported to police.
In its UCR-based report, the FBI touted a fifth consecutive year of decline in violent crime and a ninth straight year of declines in property crimes. Other highlights from the report include:
- Each of the four violent crime offense estimates decreased when compared with the 2010 estimates. Robbery had the largest decrease at 4%, followed by aggravated assault with a 3.9% decline, forcible rape with a 2.5% decline, and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter with a 0.7% decrease.
- There was a 3.3 percent decline in motor vehicle theft and a 0.7% decline in larceny-theft offenses. Estimated burglary offenses increased by 0.9% when compared with the 2010 estimate.
- Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) lost an estimated $15.6 billion in 2011.
- The FBI estimated that in 2011, agencies nationwide made about 12.4 million arrests, excluding traffic violations.
- The 2011 arrest rate for violent crimes was 172.3 per 100,000 inhabitants; for property crime, the rate was 531.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.
- By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 3.5; forcible rape, 6.3; robbery, 34.5; and aggravated assault was 128 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants.
- By property crime offense, the arrest rate for burglary was 95.6; larceny-theft, 410.6; and motor vehicle theft, 21.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. The arrest rate for arson was 3.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
- In 2011, there were 14,633 law enforcement agencies that reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that, as of Oct. 31, 2011, they collectively employed 698,460 sworn officers and 303,524 civilians, a rate of 3.4 employees for each 1,000 inhabitants.
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