For Immediate Release
October
25, 2004
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Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
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FBI
Releases Crime Statistics for 2003
Washington,
D.C.-The Federal Bureau of Investigation released
crime figures for 2003 which showed that violent
crime in the Nation declined 3.0 percent and property
crime decreased 0.2 percent from the estimated volumes
in 2002. Further, the 5- and 10-year trend data
indicated that the volume of violent crime declined
3.1 percent from the 1999 estimate and 25.6 percent
from the 1994 estimate. The volume of property crime
rose 2.2 percent when compared to the 1999 data
but fell 14.0 percent when compared to the 1994
data. A comparison of 2002 with 2003 data showed
that the rate of violent crime in the Nation, estimated
at 475.0 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants,
decreased 3.9 percent in 2003. The rate of property
crime occurrences nationwide in 2003, estimated
at 3,588.4 property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants,
decreased 1.2 percent from the 2002 property crime
rate.
The
FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program presented
the data today in its annual publication, Crime
in the United States, 2003. More than 17,000
city, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement
agencies representing 93.0 percent of the Nation's
population voluntarily submitted crime statistics
in 2003. The UCR Program presents data in two crime
categories: violent crime and property crime. The
violent crime category is made up of the offenses
of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible
rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The property
crime category is comprised of the offenses of burglary,
larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. In this
report, the FBI also provides data on arson, hate
crime, and law enforcement personnel in the Nation.
Violent
Crime
- At
nearly 1.4 million offenses, the estimated volume
of violent crime in the United
States in 2003 declined 3.0 percent from the
2002 figure.
- In
2003, the offense of murder was the only violent
crime to show an increase in volume, 1.7 percent,
compared to the 2002 data.
- Collectively,
the Nation's cities experienced a 3.9-percent
decrease in violent crime in comparison to the
2002 figure. Violent crime decreased 3.7 percent
in the Nation's nonmetropolitan counties and
1.0 percent in the Nation's metropolitan counties.
- More
than 30 percent (30.7) of violent crimes were
committed with personal weapons such as hands,
fists, feet, etc. Perpetrators used firearms
in 26.9 percent and knives or cutting instruments
in 15.2 percent of violent crimes. Other weapons
were used in 27.3 percent of violent offenses
during 2003.
- The
UCR Program estimated that in 2003 law enforcement
agencies nationwide made 597,026 arrests for
violent crime. Arrests for violent crime accounted
for 4.4 percent of the estimated number of all
arrests.
Property
Crime
- The
10.4 million property crimes estimated for 2003
reflected a slight decline (-0.2 percent) when
compared to the 2002 estimate.
- In
the Nation's cities collectively, property crime
decreased 0.3 percent from the 2002 figure.
In nonmetropolitan counties, property crime
increased 0.6 percent and in metropolitan counties,
0.2 percent.
- Victims
of property crimes (excluding arson) lost an
estimated $17 billion, a 2.1-percent increase
from the 2002 estimated dollar loss. Of the
total loss, an estimated $8.6 billion was lost
as a result of motor vehicle thefts, an estimated
$4.9
billion was lost as a result of larceny-thefts,
and an estimated $3.5 billion was lost as a
result of burglaries.
- Arrests
for property crime accounted for 11.8 percent
of the estimated number of arrests in 2003.
Most of the property crime arrests (71.3 percent)
were for larceny-theft.
Clearances
- Law
enforcement agencies nationwide cleared 46.5
percent of violent crimes in 2003. By offense
type, agencies cleared 62.4 percent of murders,
55.9 percent of aggravated assaults, 44.0 percent
of forcible rapes, and 26.3 percent of robberies.
- Nationally
in 2003, 12.2 percent of violent crime clearances
involved only juveniles. Among the population
groups, 12.2 percent of violent crime clearances
in cities collectively involved only juveniles;
12.7 percent of violent crime clearances in
metropolitan counties and 9.8 percent in nonmetropolitan
counties involved only juveniles.
- Across
the United States, law enforcement agencies
cleared 16.4 percent of all reported property
crime in 2003. By offense, agencies cleared
18.0 percent of larceny-thefts and 13.1 percent
of both burglaries and motor vehicle thefts.
- In
2003, 19.3 percent of all property crime clearances
involved only juveniles.
Arrests
- Excluding
traffic offenses, law enforcement agencies in
the Nation made an estimated 13.6 million arrests
in 2003.
- The
national arrest rate was 4,695.1 arrests per
100,000 in population.
- The
violent crime arrest rate was 205.3 per 100,000
inhabitants; the property crime arrest rate
was 558.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
- In
2003, law enforcement in the Nation's cities
collectively reported an arrest rate of 5,109.3
arrests per 100,000 inhabitants. Law enforcement
agencies in the Nation's metropolitan counties
made 3,731.0 arrests per 100,000 in population;
law enforcement agencies in the Nation's nonmetropolitan
counties made 3,961.2 arrests per 100,000 in
population.
- Compared
to the data from 2002, the number of arrests
in 2003 showed a slight increase, 0.2 percent.
The number of arrests for violent crime in 2003
decreased 2.3
percent; the number of arrests for property
crime increased 0.7 percent.
- Adults
comprised 83.7 percent of all arrestees in 2003.
- By
gender, 76.8 percent of those arrested in the
Nation were male. Compared to the 2002 data,
the number of males arrested in 2003 declined
0.4 percent; the number of females arrested
in 2003 increased 1.9 percent.
- An
examination of arrestee data by race indicated
that 70.6 percent of those arrested in the United
States in 2003 were white.
Murder
and nonnegligent manslaughter
- The
UCR Program estimated that 16,503 murders occurred
in the United States in 2003. This figure represents
a 1.7-percent increase from the 2002 estimate.
- Law
enforcement agencies provided the UCR Program
with supplementary data for 14,408 murders in
2003. These data showed that most murder victims
(90.6 percent) were adults and most were males
(77.6 percent). Of the male murder victims,
8.2 percent were juveniles (persons under the
age of 18). Juvenile females comprised 13.5
percent of female murder victims nationwide.
By race, 48.7 percent of murder victims were
white, 48.5 percent were black, and the remainder
were of other races.
- In
44.5 percent of murders, the relationship of
the murder victim to the offender was unknown.
Of the 55.5 percent of murders in which the
victim/offender relationship was known, 77.6
percent of the victims knew their assailants.
- In
those murders for which law enforcement personnel
reported victim and offender relationship data,
32.3 percent of females were killed by their
husbands or boyfriends, and 2.5 percent of males
were killed by their wives or girlfriends.
- Of
the murders involving a single victim and a
single offender, 92.4 percent of black victims
were killed by black offenders; 84.7 percent
of white victims were killed by white offenders.
- Of
the murders in 2003 for which law enforcement
identified the type of weapon, nearly 71 percent
(70.9) involved firearms. Offenders used knives
or cutting instruments in 13.4 percent of murders;
personal weapons such as hands, fists, and feet
in 7.0 percent of murders; and blunt objects
in 4.8 percent of murders. Four percent of murders
were committed with other types of weapons.
- In
2003, law enforcement investigation was unable
to determine the circumstance in 33.9 percent
of murders in the Nation. The supplementary
data also showed that more than 16 percent (16.4)
of murders were committed during the commission
of another felony such as during a robbery or
a violation of a narcotic drug law.
Forcible
Rape
- An
estimated 93,433 forcible rapes occurred in
the Nation during 2003. This number represents
a 1.9-percent decrease from the 2002 estimate.
- The
UCR Program estimated that 63.2 of every 100,000
females in the Nation were victims of forcible
rape in 2003. This rate represented a 2.7-percent
decrease from the 2002 rate.
- By
community type, the rate of forcible rape in
the Nation's Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(MSAs) was estimated at 64.5 forcible rapes
per 100,000 females. There were an estimated
75.1 forcible rapes per 100,000 females in cities
outside MSAs and 45.7 forcible rapes per 100,000
females in the Nation's nonmetropolitan counties.
Robbery
- The
United States had an estimated 413,402 robbery
offenses in 2003, which was 1.8 percent fewer
robberies than the 2002 estimate. The rate,
estimated at 142.2
robberies per 100,000 in population, decreased
2.7 percent from the 2002
estimate.
- The
UCR Program estimated that nearly 30 percent
(29.9) of all violent crimes in 2003 were robberies.
- Robbery
victims collectively lost an estimated $514
million in 2003, an average dollar loss of $1,244
per offense.
- Offenders
used firearms in 41.8 percent of robberies,
strong-arm tactics (hands, fists, feet, etc.)
in 39.9 percent of robberies, and knives or
cutting instruments in 8.9 percent of robberies.
Other weapons were used in 9.4 percent of robberies.
Aggravated
Assault
- For
the tenth consecutive year, the estimated number
of aggravated assaults in the Nation declined.
Based on law enforcement reports for 2003, the
UCR Program estimated 857,921 aggravated assaults,
a 3.8-percent decrease compared to the 2002
figure.
- By
volume, aggravated assaults comprised 62.1 percent
of the estimated total number of violent crimes.
- By
rate, the UCR Program estimated that there were
295.0 aggravated assault offenses per 100,000
inhabitants in the Nation, a 4.7-percent decline
from the 2002 estimate.
- Aggravated
assault offenders used personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.) in 26.9 percent of offenses,
firearms in 19.1 percent of offenses, and knives
or cutting instruments in 18.2 percent of offenses.
Other types of weapons were used in 35.9
percent of aggravated assaults.
Burglary
- The
Nation had an estimated 2,153,464 burglaries
in 2003, a slight (+0.1 percent) increase from
the 2002 estimated figure. The rate of burglary
in the United States was 740.5 burglary offenses
per 100,000 inhabitants, a 0.9-percent decrease
from 2002 data.
- Victims
collectively lost an estimated $3.5 billion
as a result of burglaries in 2003 with an average
dollar loss of $1,626 per incident.
- An
examination of the burglary data indicated that
forcible entry accounted for 62.4 percent, unlawful
entry comprised 31.2 percent, and attempted
forcible entry made up 6.3 percent of all burglary
offenses.
- Most
burglaries (65.8 percent) occurred at residences;
most residential burglaries (62.0 percent) occurred
during the daytime.
Larceny-theft
- The
UCR Program estimated larceny-thefts at slightly
more than 7 million offenses in 2003. This represents
a decrease of 0.5 percent when compared to the
2002 estimate. In 2003, larceny-theft made up
67.3 percent of the estimated volume of property
crime.
- By
category, thefts from motor vehicles accounted
for the largest portion (26.4 percent) of larceny-theft
offenses in the Nation.
- In
2003, the value of property taken in larceny-theft
offenses collectively was an estimated $4.9
billion. Property lost to thieves had an average
value of $698 per offense. The highest average
dollar loss, $1,030, was associated with thefts
from buildings.
- Nationwide
in 2003, 18.0 percent of all larceny-thefts
were cleared by arrest or exceptional means;
20.2 percent of larceny-theft clearances involved
only juveniles.
- The
estimated number of arrests for larceny-theft
offenses accounted for 71.3 percent of the estimated
total number of arrests for property crimes.
Motor
Vehicle Theft
- The
UCR Program estimated that nearly 1.3 million
motor vehicle thefts occurred in 2003, a 1.1-percent
increase in volume when compared to the 2002
data. The rate of motor vehicle theft, estimated
at 433.4 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants,
remained virtually unchanged from the 2002 estimate.
- Automobiles
were stolen at a rate of 341.9 motor vehicle
thefts per 100,000 in population. Commercial
vehicles, such as trucks and buses, were stolen
at a rate of 86.2 and other types of vehicles
at a rate of 38.3.
- Collectively,
victims of motor vehicle thefts lost an estimated
$8.6 billion in 2003, which was an average dollar
value loss of $6,797 per offense.
- Nationwide,
law enforcement agencies made an estimated 152,934
arrests for motor vehicle theft.
Arson
- In
2003, 12,776 law enforcement agencies reported
71,319 arson offenses to the UCR Program.
- Of
the 71,319 arsons, law enforcement agencies
provided supplementary data on 64,043 offenses.
Of the arsons for which additional information
was provided, law enforcement reported an average
dollar loss of $11,942 per offense.
- By
property type, residential arsons had an average
dollar loss of $19,062 for single occupancy
dwellings and an average dollar loss of $23,977
for other residential-type arsons per offense.
The average dollar loss for a mobile property
arson was $6,381, and the average dollar loss
for other property type arson was $3,467 per
offense.
- The
Nation's law enforcement agencies cleared 16.7
percent of reported arsons in 2003. Juveniles
comprised 41.3 percent of all the arson clearances.
- An
estimated 16,163 people were arrested for arson
in 2003, 84.4 percent of whom were male. More
than half (50.8 percent) of arson arrestees
were under the age of 18; 31.2 percent of arson
arrestees were under the age of 15.
Hate
Crime
- In
2003, 11,909 agencies actively participated
in the hate crime portion of the UCR Program,
and 1,967 of those agencies reported 7,489 hate
crime incidents involving 8,715 separate offenses,
9,100 victims, and 6,934 known offenders.
- Of
the 7,489 hate crime incidents, 7,485 were due
to a single-bias, and 4 were due to a multiple-bias.
- More
than half (51.4 percent) of all single-bias
hate crime incidents in 2003 were racially motivated.
Law enforcement investigators attributed nearly
18 percent (17.9) of hate crimes to a religious
bias, 16.6 percent to a sexual-orientation bias,
13.7 percent to a bias based on ethnicity/national
origin, and 0.4 percent to a disability bias.
- In
2003, 63.3 percent of reported hate crime offenses
were classified as crimes against persons, 36.0
percent were classified as crimes against property,
and 0.7 percent were classified as crimes against
society.
- Law
enforcement agencies indicated that intimidation
was the most frequently reported hate crime.
Intimidation accounted for 31.5 percent of all
hate crime offenses and 49.7 percent of crimes
against persons.
- Destruction/damage/vandalism
of property, the most frequently reported hate
crime against property, comprised 30.0 percent
of all reported hate crime offenses and 83.4
percent of hate crimes against property.
Law
Enforcement Employees
- In
2003, there were 3.5 full-time law enforcement
employees, including both sworn officers and
civilians, per 1,000 inhabitants in the United
States.
- Throughout
the Nation, 14,072 city, county, state, and
tribal police agencies actively participated
in the law enforcement segment of the UCR Program.
These agencies employed 663,796 full-time officers
and 285,146 civilians and furnished law enforcement
services to more than 274 million inhabitants.
- Law
enforcement in 2003 provided services to the
Nation's cities collectively at a rate of 2.3
sworn law enforcement officers for every 1,000
inhabitants. Law enforcement in the Nation's
smallest cities, those with less than 10,000
inhabitants, provided services at a rate of
3.3 sworn officers per 1,000 in population,
the highest rate among population groups. Law
enforcement in the Nation's cities with 25,000
to 49,999
inhabitants provided services at a rate of 1.8
sworn officers per 1,000 in population, the
lowest employment rate among the population
groups. Law enforcement agencies providing services
to metropolitan counties had 2.6 sworn officers
for each 1,000 in population, and law enforcement
agencies providing services to nonmetropolitan
counties had 2.8 sworn officers for each 1,000
in population.
- Most
sworn law enforcement officers (88.6 percent)
were male. Females comprised the majority (62.5
percent) of civilian law enforcement employees.
Crime
in the United States, 2003, is available on
the FBI's Internet site at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.
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