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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