According to the FBI's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report released today, the nation experienced a 1.4 percent decrease in the number of violent crimes and a 2.1 percent decline in the number of property crimes for 2007 compared with data from 2006. The report is based on information that the FBI gathered from 12,032 law enforcement agencies that submitted six to 12 comparable months of data to the FBI for both 2006 and 2007.

Violent Crime

• All four of the violent crime offense categories declined nationwide in 2007 compared with data from 2006. Forcible rape decreased 4.3 percent, and murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined 2.7 percent. Robbery and aggravated assault offenses each decreased 1.2 percent.
• By population group, cities with populations of 250,000 to 499,999 saw the greatest decline in violent crime (3.9 percent).
• Violent crime in non-metropolitan counties increased 1.8 percent, but in metropolitan counties decreased 1.7 percent.
• Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased 9.8 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants. However, in cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999, murder and non-negligent manslaughter increased 3.7 percent.
• Forcible rape declined in all population groupings. Cities with one million or more inhabitants experienced the greatest decline, at 8.0 percent.
• Cities with populations from 250,000 to 499,999 had the greatest decrease in robbery (3.0 percent). The nation’s largest cities, one million or more in population, also experienced a 2.9 percent decrease in robbery.
• Aggravated assault decreased most (4.3 percent) in cities with 250,000 to 499,999 inhabitants. However, reports of this offense increased three percent in cities with 10,000 to 24,999 persons. Aggravated assault also increased 3.0 percent in non-metropolitan counties.
• Three of the nation’s four regions experienced drops in violent crime in 2007. However, in the South, violent crime increased 0.7 percent in 2007 when compared with data from 2006.

Property Crime

• Property crime decreased in all city groupings. Cities with 250,000 to 499,999 inhabitants had the greatest decrease in property crimes with a decline of 4.2 percent. Non-metropolitan counties saw a 1.7 percent decrease in property crime, and metropolitan counties had a 1.6 percent decline.
• Burglary offenses ranged from a decrease of 3.3 percent in cities with 500,000 to 999,999 persons to an increase of 4.0 percent in cities with one million or more inhabitants.
• Larceny-theft experienced a decline in all population groups with the exception of cities with 500,000 to 999,999 inhabitants, where these offenses were up less than one-tenth of one percent.
• Motor vehicle theft experienced declines in all population groupings.
• Three of the nation’s four regions had decreases in property crimes in 2007 when compared with data from 2006. In the South, property crimes were up 1.1 percent.

Arson

• Arson offenses, tracked separately from other property crimes, decreased 7.0 percent nationwide and declined in each of the population groupings.

The complete Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report is available exclusively at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.