Crime in the United States
by State, 2007
The FBI collects these data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
General comments
- This table provides the estimated number of offenses and the rate of
offenses per 100,000 inhabitants for each state.
- This table provides the estimated number of offenses and the actual
number of offenses reported in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA),
cities outside metropolitan areas, and nonmetropolitan counties, and
the rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) for each grouping, and the estimated
population for each state.
- For Illinois, valid counts for murder, robbery, aggravated assault,
burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft were available only
for agencies in cities 100,000 and over in population. For other agencies,
the only available data generated by the Illinois State Program were
totals based upon an incident-level system without indication of multiple
offenses recorded within single incidents. Therefore, the UCR Hierarchy
Rule could not be applied in order to convert the state’s data to Summary
format. (The Hierarchy Rule requires that only the most serious offense
in a multiple-offense criminal incident is counted.) To arrive at a comparable
state estimate to be included in national compilations, the Illinois
State Program’s totals were reduced by the proportion of multiple offenses
reported within single incidents in the National Incident-Based Reporting
System database. Data for cities 100,000 and over in population were
excluded from the reduction process.
- The data collection methodology for the offense of forcible rape used
by Illinois (with the exception of Rockford, Illinois) and Minnesota
(with the exception of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) do not comply
with national UCR Program guidelines. Consequently, their figures for
forcible rape were estimated for inclusion in this table.
- The UCR Program does not have sufficient data to estimate for arson.
Caution against ranking
Any comparisons of crime among different locales should take into consideration
relevant factors in addition to the area’s crime statistics. Variables
Affecting Crime provides more details concerning the proper use of
UCR statistics.
Methodology
- The data used in creating this table were from all law enforcement
agencies in the UCR Program (including those submitting less than 12
months of data).
- Crime statistics include estimated offense totals (except arson) for
agencies submitting less than 12 months of offense reports for each year.
- The statistics under the heading “Area actually reporting” represent
offense totals for agencies submitting 12 months of data and estimated
totals for agencies submitting less than 12 but more than 2 months of
data.
- The statistics in the table under the heading “Estimated total” represent
the above “Area actually reporting” plus estimated totals for agencies
submitting 2 months or less of data.
Population estimation
For the 2007 population estimates used in this table, the FBI computed
individual rates of growth from one year to the next for every city/town
and county using 2000 decennial population counts and 2001 through 2006
population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Each agency’s rates of
growth were averaged; that average was then applied and added to its 2006
Census population estimate to derive the agency’s 2007 population estimate.
If you have questions about this table
Contact the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division via e-mail
at
cjis_comm@leo.gov or by telephone
at (304) 625-4995.