For Immediate Release
October
22, 2001
|
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
|
Crime
in the United States, 2000
Crime
in the United States, 2000
The Federal Bureau
of Investigation announced today that there was virtually
no change in the Crime Index in 2000 compared to the 1999
figures. The Crime Index (composed of murder, forcible rape,
robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and
motor vehicle theft) decreased 0.2 percent in 2000, the
smallest year-to-year decrease in volume since 1991. Final
2000 data released by the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Program in the annual publication Crime in the United
States, 2000, show that serious crime was 14.0 percent
lower than in 1996 and 22.0 percent less than in 1991.
Both violent
and property crime experienced marginal declines in volume
when compared to the 1999 volume.
Collectively,
violent crime (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated
assault) decreased 0.1 percent from 1999 to 2000. Decreases
in violent crime occurred for robbery, 0.4 percent, and
for aggravated assault, 0.1 percent. Murder declined by
less than one-tenth of 1 percent. Forcible rape increased
0.9 percent, the first volume increase for that offense
since 1992.
Overall, property
crime in 2000 (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle
theft) decreased 0.3 percent when compared to the 1999 data.
Increases in larceny-theft, 0.2 percent, and motor vehicle
theft, 1.2 percent, were offset by a 2.4-percent decline
in volume for burglary.
By community
type, Index crime decreased 1.8 percent in the Nation's
suburban counties and 0.1 percent in the Nation's cities
collectively. Rural counties experienced a 0.5-percent increase
in Index crime, which can be attributed to increases in
robbery, larceny-thefts, and motor vehicle thefts from 1999
to 2000.
An estimated
11.6 million offenses were reported to law enforcement agencies
across the Nation in 2000, an average of 4,124.0 crimes
for every 100,000 inhabitants. This rate is 3.3 percent
less than the 1999 rate, 18.9 percent less than the 1996
rate, and 30.1 percent less than the crime rate recorded
in 1991.
Crime in the
United States, 2000
is compiled from data provided to the FBI's UCR Program
by approximately 17,000 law enforcement agencies representing
nearly 254 million United States inhabitants, 94 percent
of the Nation's population as established by the Bureau
of the Census. Estimates are included for nonreporting areas.
Crime Volume
- The Crime Index total,
the measure of serious crime volume, decreased 0.2 percent
from reported 1999 data.
- From 1999 to 2000, violent
crime declined 0.1 percent. The following decreases
in volume were recorded: robbery, 0.4 percent; aggravated
assault, 0.1 percent; and murder, less than one-tenth
of 1 percent. Forcible rape, which had been in decline
since 1992, increased 0.9 percent. Among the Nation's
counties, forcible rape volumes decreased 0.9 percent
in suburban counties and 0.1 percent in rural counties
from 1999 to 2000; however, during this 2-year period,
the Nation's cities collectively experienced a 1.5-percent
increase in volume for forcible rape.
- Three of the Nation's
4 geographic regions experienced decreases in estimated
crime volumes. With 35.6 percent of the country's population,
the Southern region accounted for 41.0 percent of the
estimated crime for 2000. Crime in the South declined
0.1 percent from 1999 to 2000. The Midwestern region,
with 22.9 percent of the U.S. population and 21.9 percent
of the Nation's estimated crime, had a decline of 0.6
percent in Index crime. The Northeastern region, comprising
19.0 percent of the country's population and 14.2 percent
of the country's crime, experienced a 2.0-percent decline
in Index crime. The Western region, which makes up 22.5
percent of the Nation's population, accounted for 23.0
percent of the total estimated crime and had the only
regional increase in the number of offenses, 1.0 percent.
Collectively, the states which make up the Western region
experienced increases in crime volume for motor vehicle
theft, 7.1 percent; forcible rape, 3.5 percent; robbery
and aggravated assault, both increasing 0.9 percent;
and larceny-theft, which increased 0.2 percent in volume.
Crime Index
Rate
- The 2000 Crime Index
rate, which measures the average number of the 7 Index
offenses per 100,000 inhabitants in the United States,
decreased 3.3 percent from the 1999 rate. The Crime
Index rate for 2000 was 4,124.0 Index offenses per 100,000
population, 18.9 percent lower than in 1996 and 30.1
percent less than in 1991.
- In 2000, the Nation's
cities collectively had a crime rate of 5,071.0 Index
offenses for every 100,000 inhabitants. The country's
largest cities, those with populations of 250,000 or
more inhabitants, were measured at 6,382.1 Crime Index
offenses per 100,000 population. The Nation's smallest
cities, those having populations of less than 25,000
inhabitants, collectively experienced a Crime Index
rate of 3,923.1 Index offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
In 2000, suburban counties had a rate of 3,043.7 Index
offenses per 100,000 population and rural counties,
a rate of 1,928.1.
- By region, the Southern
States had a Crime Index rate of 4,743.4 Index offenses
per 100,000 population for 2000, a decrease of 3.9 percent
from the 1999 rate. The Western States recorded 4,222.4
Index crimes per 100,000 inhabitants, a decline of 2.3
percent from the previous year's rate. The Midwestern
States experienced a Crime Index rate of 3,945.0 Index
offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, down 2.4 percent from
the 1999 rate. The Northeastern States, with a rate
of 3,064.3 Index offenses per 100,000 population, showed
a 5.2-percent decrease from 1999 to 2000.
Violent Crime
- The year 2000 marked
the lowest volume of violent crimes (murder, forcible
rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) since 1985. Violent
crime decreased 0.1 percent from the 1999 volume. The
estimated 1.4 million violent crimes in 2000 were also
down 15.6 percent from the 1996 estimate and 25.5 percent
from the 1991 estimate.
- The violent crime rate
for 2000 was computed at 506.1 offenses for every 100,000
in population. The 2000 violent crime rate decreased
3.2 percent from the 1999 rate, 20.5 percent from the
1996 rate, and 33.2 percent from the 1991 rate.
- Aggravated assault accounted
for 63.9 percent of the total violent crimes in 2000.
Robbery made up 28.6 percent of the total violent crime,
forcible rape comprised 6.3 percent, and murder 1.1
percent.
- The robbery volume in
2000 declined 0.4 percent from the 1999 volume. And
when compared to the 1999 volume, the volume of aggravated
assaults decreased by 0.1 percent in 2000. The murder
volume between 1999 and 2000 showed virtually no change,
decreasing by less than one-tenth of 1 percent. Forcible
rape was the only violent crime that had an increase
in volume over the 2-year period, showing a 0.9-percent
rise.
- Firearms were used in
25.6 percent of the total murders, robberies, and aggravated
assaults collectively during 2000. Personal weapons
(hands, fists, feet, etc.) were involved in 31.5 percent
of these crimes, and knives or cutting instruments were
employed in another 15.0 percent. Other dangerous weapons
were used in 27.9 percent of the offenses.
Property Crime
- Property crimes (burglary,
larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) were collectively
estimated at 10.2 million offenses for 2000, a decrease
of 0.3 percent from the 1999 estimate. The 2000 property
crime offense total was 13.8 percent less than in 1996
and 21.4 percent lower than in 1991.
- In 2000, the estimated
number of motor vehicle theft offenses and larceny-theft
offenses increased 1.2 and 0.2 percent, respectively.
These volume increases for motor vehicle theft and larceny-theft
were offset by a 2.4-percent decline in the number of
burglaries reported to law enforcement for 2000 and
allowed for a cumulative decrease of 0.3 percent for
property crimes in 2000.
- The Nation's property
crime rate for 2000 was 3,617.9 offenses for every 100,000
inhabitants. The property crime rate was 3.4 percent
less than the 1999 rate, 18.7 percent below the 1996
rate, and 29.6 percent less than the 1991 rate.
- Total dollar losses for
property crime are estimated to be more than $15.9 billion.
The average dollar loss connected with property crime
offenses was $1,562.
- Limited arson data showed
an average of $11,042 in property losses per incident
reported.
Hate Crime
- There was a total of
8,152 hate crime incidents reported to law enforcement
in 2000. These incidents involved 9,524 distinct offenses.
- Among the 8,144 single-bias
incidents in 2000, racially motivated bias made up the
largest number of offenses reported, 5,206. Religious
bias was the motivation for 1,568 of the single-bias
offenses. Offenses committed with a bias against a sexual
orientation accounted for 1,517 offenses, bias against
ethnicity or national origin led to 1,180 offenses,
and disability was the bias motivation for 36 offenses.
There were an additional 17 offenses that occurred during
8 incidents involving multiple biases.
- In 2000, for the 8,152
bias incidents reported, the identity of 7,642 offenders
are known.
- The most common hate
crime offense in 2000 was intimidation with 3,294 bias-motivated
offenses. The destruction/damage/vandalism of property
accounted for 2,766 offenses; simple assault, 1,616
offenses; and aggravated assault, 1,274 offenses.
- Hate crime data for 2000
was provided by 11,691 law enforcement agencies representing
nearly 237 million or 84.2 percent of the Nation's population.
Index Crime
Clearances
- Law enforcement agencies
nationwide reported a 20.5-percent Crime Index offense
clearance rate for 2000. The clearance rate for violent
crimes was 47.5 percent; property crimes had a clearance
rate of 16.7 percent.
- Among violent crimes,
the offense of murder had a clearance rate of 63.1 percent
and was the most frequently cleared offense in 2000.
The aggravated assault clearance rate was 56.9 percent;
46.9 percent of forcible rapes and 25.7 percent of robberies
were also cleared.
- For property crimes,
18.2 percent of larceny-thefts were cleared in 2000.
Motor vehicle theft was cleared at a rate of 14.1 percent;
burglary, the offense least often cleared, had a clearance
rate of 13.4 percent.
- Arson had a clearance
rate of 16.0 percent in 2000.
- In 2000, Index offenses
involving only juvenile offenders (under 18 years of
age) accounted for 19.3 percent of the overall Crime
Index offenses cleared. Additionally, juveniles were
held accountable for 12.2 percent of all violent crimes
cleared and 22.1 percent of the total property crimes
cleared. Murder had the least juvenile involvement with
5.3 percent of the offenses cleared. Juveniles, however,
were most often involved in the crime of arson, representing
45.9 percent of the total arson offenses cleared.
Arrests
- In 2000, law enforcement
agencies made an estimated 14 million arrests for all
criminal infractions (excluding traffic violations).
Drug abuse violations, with an estimated 1.6 million
arrests, were the most frequent cause for arrest, continuing
a 6-year trend. Among specific crime classifications,
some of the highest arrest counts in 2000 were for driving
under the influence, accounting for an estimated 1.5
million arrests; simple assaults, 1.3 million arrests;
and larceny-thefts, 1.2 million arrests.
- Relating the number of
arrests in 2000 to the Nation's population, there were
5,010.4 arrests for every 100,000 inhabitants. Collectively,
the country's cities had a rate of 5,418.1 arrests for
every 100,000 city inhabitants. Cities with populations
of under 10,000 inhabitants had the highest arrest rate,
6,460.1 per 100,000 population. The arrest rate for
rural county law enforcement agencies was 4,027.1 and
for suburban county law enforcement, 4,021.5 arrests
per 100,000 county inhabitants.
- The number of total arrests
for the Nation decreased 2.2 percent from 1999 to 2000.
Arrests for the Crime Index offenses declined 3.7 percent
as violent crime arrests decreased 1.4 percent and property
crime arrests decreased 4.6 percent.
- Total juvenile arrests
declined 4.8 percent from 1999 to 2000, and adult arrests
fell by 1.7 percent. For the Crime Index offenses, juvenile
arrests decreased by 5.1 percent. The number of adult
arrests for Index crimes was also down, showing a 3.1-percent
decrease. Juvenile arrests for violent and property
crimes declined 4.4 and 5.3 percent, respectively. Adult
arrests also showed a downward trend, declining 0.8
percent for violent crimes and 4.2 percent for property
crimes.
- Among persons arrested
for Index offenses in 2000, 55.1 percent were under
the age of 25. This age group accounted for 44.4 percent
of the violent crime arrests and 59.2 percent of the
property crime arrests. Juveniles made up 27.5 percent
of those arrested for Index crime, 15.9 percent of those
arrested for violent crime, and 32.0 percent of those
arrested for property crime.
- Males comprised 77.8
percent of the total arrestees in 2000. Males also accounted
for 82.6 percent of the violent crime arrestees and
70.1 percent of property crime arrestees.
- In 2000, whites accounted
for 69.7 percent of the total arrestees, 59.9 percent
of the violent crime arrestees, and 66.2 percent of
the property crime arrestees.
Murder
- There were an estimated
15,517 murders in 2000, virtually no change from the
1999 murder estimate of 15,522. The number of murders
was 21 percent less than in 1996 and 37.2 percent less
than in 1991.
- Murder trends for the
Nation's cities collectively indicated murder increased
by 0.7 percent from 1999 to 2000. Murder declined 3.8
percent in the suburban counties and 3.5 percent in
rural counties.
- Based on supplemental
murder data provided for 12,943 of the estimated 15,517
murders in 2000, males comprised 76.2 percent of the
murder victims. By race, 49.0 percent of the victims
were white, 48.5 percent were black, and other races
accounted for 2.5 percent of the victims. Adults, persons
aged 18 or older, made up 89.7 percent of the murder
victims.
- Supplemental data for
14,697 murder offenders indicate that 90.2 percent of
the offenders were male and 91.3 percent of the murder
offenders were aged 18 or older. By race, 51.4 percent
were black, 46.1 percent were white, and 2.6 percent
of the offenders were of other races.
- Data continue to indicate
that murder is most often intraracial. In 2000, 93.7
percent of black murder victims were slain by black
offenders and 86.2 percent of white murder victims were
slain by white offenders.
- In 2000, relationship
data between victims and their offenders indicated that
44.3 percent of the victims were acquainted with or
related to their assailants. Familial relationships
existed between 13.4 percent of the victims and their
murderers; acquaintances murdered 30.9 percent of the
victims.
- Husbands or boyfriends
murdered 33.0 percent of the female victims, and wives
or girlfriends killed 3.2 percent of male victims during
2000.
- During 2000, arguments
were the predominant circumstance leading to murder.
According to supplemental data, 29.4 percent of murders
resulted from an argument. Felonious activities such
as forcible rape, robbery, arson, etc., precipitated
16.7 percent of the murders, and 0.5 percent of the
murders were suspected of having felonious intent.
- Firearms were used in
65.6 percent of the murders in 2000. By firearm type,
handguns accounted for 51.7 percent of the murder total;
shotguns, 3.6 percent; rifles, 3.1 percent; and other
or unknown types of firearms another 7.3 percent.
Forcible Rape
- An estimated 90,186 forcible
rapes of females were reported by law enforcement agencies
during 2000, an increase of 0.9 percent from the 1999
rate, and the first increase for female forcible rape
since 1992. By volume, forcible rape in 2000 was 6.3
percent less than in 1996 and 15.4 percent lower than
in 1991.
- Collectively, the Nation's
cities experienced a 1.5-percent increase in forcible
rape volumes; suburban counties had a decrease of 0.9
percent, and rural counties a 0.1 percent decrease.
- In 2000, an estimated
62.7 of every 100,000 females in the country were victims
of forcible rape. By community type, cities outside
of metropolitan areas had the highest rate of female
forcible rape, 69.0 for every 100,000 females. Metropolitan
Statistical Areas had a rate of 65.0 female rapes per
100,000 females, and rural counties recorded a rate
of 43.4 forcible rapes for every 100,000 females.
- Law enforcement cleared
46.9 percent of reported female forcible rapes during
2000. Juveniles were involved in 12.1 percent of the
total law enforcement clearances for forcible rape nationwide.
Robbery
- The estimated number
of robberies decreased 0.4 percent from 1999 to 2000.
Additionally, robbery offenses declined 23.9 percent
from the 1996 estimate and 40.7 percent from the 1991
estimate.
- In 2000, the monetary
value attributed to property stolen during robbery was
estimated at over $477 million. The average dollar loss
per robbery offense was $1,170.
- Robberies on streets
and highways comprised 46.0 percent of all robberies.
Robberies of financial establishments and commercial
businesses accounted for 25.3 percent of robberies,
and residential robberies made up 12.2 percent of all
robberies.
- Firearms were used in
40.9 percent of robberies during 2000. Strong-arm tactics
were used in 40.4 percent of robberies, knives or cutting
instruments were the weapon used in 8.4 percent of robberies,
and other types of weapons were used in 10.3 percent
of robberies.
Aggravated
Assault
- The estimated 910,744
aggravated assault offenses in 2000 represented a slight
decline, 0.1 percent, from the 1999 figure. This is
the lowest estimated volume since 1989. The estimated
number of aggravated assaults was 12.2 percent lower
than the 1996 figure and 16.7 percent lower than the
1991 number.
- By community type, the
number of aggravated assaults declined 3.7 percent in
rural counties and increased 0.2 percent in the Nation's
cities collectively and 0.2 percent in suburban counties.
- Aggravated assault accounted
for 63.9 percent of the violent crimes in 2000.
- Nationally, there was
an average offense rate of 323.6 aggravated assaults
for every 100,000 inhabitants during 2000, a decrease
of 3.2 percent from the 1999 rate. The country's cities,
collectively, had a rate of 395.2 per 100,000 inhabitants,
suburban counties averaged 262.1 aggravated assaults
per 100,000, and rural counties, a rate of 171.1 offenses
per 100,000 populace.
- In 2000, 35.9 percent
of aggravated assaults were committed with blunt objects
or other dangerous weapons. Personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.) were used in 28.0 percent of the
assaults; firearms, in 18.1 percent; and knives or cutting
instruments, in 18.0 percent.
Burglary
- The estimated number
of burglary offenses in 2000 declined 2.4 percent from
the previous year's figure. The estimated 2,049,946
offenses are the lowest measure since 1969. National
5- and 10-year trends indicated that burglary declined
18.2 percent from the 1996 figure and decreased 35.1
percent from the 1991 estimate.
- In 2000, an estimated
dollar value of nearly $3 billion was attributed to
property losses from burglary. The average dollar loss
per burglary was $1,462. For residential offenses, the
average loss was $1,381 and for nonresidential burglaries,
$1,615.
- In 2000, 65.1 percent
of burglaries were residential in nature. Burglaries
of residences occurred most frequently during daytime
hours, 60.7 percent, and burglaries of nonresidences
occurred most often at night, 57.7 percent.
Larceny-theft
- Nearly 7 million larceny-theft
offenses are estimated to have been reported to law
enforcement agencies during 2000, an increase of 0.2
percent from the 1999 estimate. Larceny-theft comprised
68.4 percent of all the property crimes.
- Thefts of motor vehicle
parts, accessories, and contents accounted for the largest
segment of larceny-thefts, 34.9 percent. Shoplifting
made up 13.8 percent of the larceny-thefts and thefts
from buildings, 13.1 percent. The remainder of larceny-thefts
was attributable to other types of larceny-theft (pocket-picking,
purse-snatching, bicycle thefts, etc.)
- In 2000, the average
value of property stolen as a result of larceny-theft
was $735. The estimated collective value of all property
stolen during larceny-thefts was over
$5.1 billion. Losses over $200 accounted for 38.9 percent
of reported larceny-thefts, losses under $50 comprised
37.7 percent, and those between $50 and $200, made up
23.4 percent of the offenses.
Motor Vehicle
Theft
- Nearly 1.2 million motor
vehicle thefts are estimated to have occurred in 2000,
a 1.2-percent increase from the 1999 estimate and the
first such increase since 1990. Collectively, the Nation's
cities had a 1.4-percent increase in motor vehicle thefts.
Motor vehicle theft also increased 2.9 percent in the
country's suburban counties and 1.6 percent in the rural
counties.
- During 2000, the value
of stolen vehicles was estimated at close to $7.8 billion.
The average value of a stolen motor vehicle was $6,682.
The recovery rate of stolen motor vehicles, 62.2 percent,
was higher than for any other property type.
- Automobiles comprised
74.5 percent of all motor vehicle theft offenses, trucks
and buses accounted for 18.7 percent of the vehicle
thefts, and the remainder included other type vehicles.
Arson
- More than 78,280 arson
offenses were reported by law enforcement in 2000, an
increase of 0.4 percent from the 1999 figure.
- Among community types,
the Nation's cities, collectively, experienced a 0.2-percent
decline in reported arson offenses. Cities with populations
of 1 million or more inhabitants had the greatest decrease
in arson, 7.1 percent. In contrast, cities with populations
of 10,000 to 24,999 saw an increase of 6.6 percent for
arson offenses and cities of 25,000 to 49,999 inhabitants,
an increase of 5.6 percent. The number of arson offenses
increased 2.7 percent in the suburban counties. The
rural counties had a 0.5-percent decrease in reported
offenses.
- Supplemental arson data
provided for 68,756 of the 78,280 reported arson offenses
in 2000 indicated that 43.8 percent of all arson were
structural in nature. Mobile properties were targeted
in 31.2 percent of the arson offenses, and other types
of property (crops, timber, etc.) accounted for 25.0
percent.
- Among the 30,116 structural
arson offenses, residential property comprised 60.3
percent, with 42.2 percent of the structural arson directed
at single-family dwellings. Uninhabited or abandoned
structural property was targeted in 18.2 percent of
the offenses.
- Supplemental arson data
indicate that the average monetary value of property
damaged due to reported arson in 2000 was $11,042 per
incident. The dollar value for damaged structural property
averaged $19,479. Mobile property loss averaged $5,803
per incident, and for other property types, the average
was $2,706.
- Juveniles were involved
in 45.0 percent of arson incidents cleared by law enforcement
in 2000.
Law Enforcement
Employees
- Law enforcement agencies
in the United States employed an average of 2.5 full-time
sworn officers for every 1,000 inhabitants during 2000.
When full-time civilian employees are included, the
rate was 3.5 employees per 1,000 inhabitants.
- The 13,535 city, county,
and state police agencies that voluntarily reported
personnel data in 2000 collectively employed 654,601
officers and 271,982 civilians and provided law enforcement
services to nearly 265 million of the Nation's approximately
281 million inhabitants.
- By community type, the
rate of sworn officers in the Nation's cities collectively
was 2.4 officers per 1,000 inhabitants. Both the suburban
and rural counties had a rate of 2.6 sworn officers
for every 1,000 population.
- In 2000, 70.6 percent
of the Nation's law enforcement personnel were sworn
officers. Males made up 89.0 percent of the total number
of sworn officers.
- Civilians comprised 29.4
percent of the total law enforcement employee force
in the United States during 2000. Females accounted
for 62.7 percent of all civilian law enforcement personnel.
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