Larceny-theft

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The UCR Program defines larceny-theft as the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles, motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud. Attempted larcenies are included. Embezzlement, confidence games, forgery, check fraud, etc., are excluded.

Overview

• There were an estimated 6.8 million (6,776,807) larceny-theft offenses nationwide during 2005.
• An examination of 2- and 10-year trends revealed a 2.3-percent decrease in the estimated number of larceny-thefts compared with the 2004 figure, and a 14.3-percent decline from the 1996 estimate.
• Two-thirds of all property crimes in 2005 were larceny-thefts. (Based on Table 1.)
• During 2005, there were an estimated 2,286.3 larceny-theft offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
• From 2004 to 2005 the rate of larceny-thefts declined 3.2 percent, and from 1996 to 2005, the rate declined 23.3 percent.
• The average value for property stolen during the commission of a larceny-theft was $764 per offense.

Expanded larceny-theft data

Expanded offense data are the details of the various offenses that the Program collects beyond the count of how many crimes law enforcement agencies report. These details may include the type of weapons used in a crime, type or value of items stolen, and so forth. In addition, expanded data include trends (for example, 2-year comparisons) and rates per 100,000 inhabitants.

Expanded information regarding larceny-theft is available in the following tables:

Trends (2-year): Tables 12, 13, and 14
Rates (per 100,000 inhabitants): Tables 16, 17, and 18
Offense Analysis: Table 23
Larceny-theft Table, "Larceny-theft, Percent Distribution within Region, 2005"

Release Date: September 2006