Preliminary
Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January - June 2002
According to preliminary data released by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program
today, the number of Crime Index offenses reported to
law enforcement during the first 6 months of 2002 increased
1.3 percent when compared to figures reported for the
same period of 2001. The Crime Index, which is viewed
by many as an indicator of the Nation's crime experience,
is comprised of violent crime offenses and property crime
offenses. The Modified Crime Index includes arson as a
property crime.
Overall, violent
crime, which includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter,
forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, decreased
1.7 percent when comparing data reported for the 6-month
periods. Property crime, which includes burglary, larceny-theft,
and motor vehicle theft, increased 1.7 percent. Arson
offenses, tabulated separately from the Crime Index, decreased
2.6 percent for the first 6 months of 2002 when compared
to data from that same period of 2001.
The violent crime offenses
of murder and forcible rape both showed increases in 2002
when compared to 2001 numbers, with murder increasing
2.3 percent and forcible rape, 1.8 percent. However, robbery
showed a decrease of 0.4 percent, and aggravated assault
declined 2.8 percent.
All of the property crimes
increased in the six-month period. Burglary and motor
vehicle theft each rose 4.2 percent, and larceny-theft,
0.5 percent.
Among the city population
groups, cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 and
those with populations under 10,000 inhabitants had decreases–0.4
percent and 1.9 percent, respectively–in the number
of Crime Index offenses reported. Increases in Crime Index
offense volumes ranged from 0.2 percent for cities with
1 million or more inhabitants to 3.1 percent for cities
with populations of 50,000 to 99,999.
The number of reported
Crime Index offenses in suburban counties rose 3.6 percent;
in rural counties, the number of offenses decreased 1.9
percent.
By region, the West showed
a 5.9-percent increase in Crime Index offenses, and the
South reported an increase of 0.6 percent. Decreases in
the volume of Crime Index offenses were noted in the Northeast,
2.1 percent, and in the Midwest, 1.4 percent.
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