Uniform
Crime Reports 2000 Preliminary Figures
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today that preliminary
2000 figures from its nationwide Uniform Crime Reporting
(UCR) Program indicate that the Crime Index, which is
composed of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated
assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft,
was relatively unchanged from 1999 figures.
Compared
with figures from the previous year, these preliminary
figures indicate violent crime totals remained relatively
unchanged with an increase of 0.1 percent, and property
crime totals showed virtually no change. The final figures
for 2000 will be available this fall.
In
the violent crime category, murder showed a decline of
1.1 percent followed by robbery with a 0.7-percent decrease.
Forcible rape and aggravated assault figures indicated
an increase of 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.
In the property crime category, burglary decreased 2.1 percent
from 1999 numbers. Motor vehicle theft increased by 2.7
percent, and larceny-theft increased 0.1 percent when
compared to 1999 data. Additionally, a decline of 0.6
percent was registered for arson.
Regionally,
law enforcement agencies in the Northeast and Midwest
reported decreases in the Crime Index total, with declines
of 2.4 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.
In the West, a 1.1-percent increase was registered and
a 1-percent increase was noted in the South. A comparison
of 2000 and 1999 data showed that violent crime fell 1.7
percent in the Northeast and 0.7 percent in the Midwest.
A 1.2-percent increase in violent crime was recorded in
the West and an increase of 0.7 percent in the South.
Murder was down in the West by 3.9 percent and 2.3 percent
in the Midwest. However, murder increased in the Northeast
and South by 1.3 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively.
Property crime totals fell by 2.6 percent in the Northeast
and 1.2 percent in the Midwest. In both the South and
West, a 1-percent increase in property crimes was noted.
Among
cities, those with populations of 50,000 to 99,999 inhabitants
registered the largest decrease, 1.1 percent, in Index
crime. The greatest increase, 0.5 percent, was recorded
by cities with populations 25,000 to 49,999 and also those
with populations of 100,000 to 249,999. Compared with
the 1999 figures, data for 2000 showed that the Crime
Index increased 0.7 percent in suburban counties
and decreased 0.8 percent in rural counties.
Over
17,000 city, county, and state law enforcement agencies
voluntarily participate in the nationwide, cooperative
statistical effort of the FBI's UCR Program. These comprehensive
data are published annually in Crime in the United
States.