The number of violent crimes in the US increased by 0.7 per cent in 2012, according to the latest FBI statistics. However, property crime decreased by 0.9 per cent during the year.
The Crime in the United States 2012 report showed that there was an estimated 1,214,462 violent crimes in 2012, which included 14,827 murders, 84,376 forcible rapes, 354,520 robberies and 760,739 aggravated assaults. The overall rate was estimated at 386.9 offences per 100,000 inhabitants.
The report compiled offence and arrest data by law enforcement agencies participating in the voluntary FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) programme.
According to the figures, the numbers of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, and aggravated assault increased 1.1 per cent, 0.2 per cent, and 1.1 per cent respectively. The estimated number of robberies declined 0.1 per cent.
The West showed the greatest rise in violent crime at 3.2 per cent, followed by increases of 1.5 per cent in the Midwest, 1.2 per cent in the Northeast and 0.3 per cent in the South.
Across the US, there was an estimated 8,975,438 property crimes reported in 2012. This figure was down 0.9 per cent and the 10th successive year of declines.
The South saw a 3.3 per cent decrease year-on-year in property crime, while the Midwest and Northeast showed drops of 1.9 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. However, the West saw a 5.2 per cent increase.
The estimated number of burglaries decreased by 3.7 per cent compared to the figures for 2011, but the number of motor vehicle thefts rose by 0.6 per cent.
The FBI estimated that a total of 12.2 million arrests were made by law enforcement agencies nationwide, excluding traffic violations, in 2012. The arrest rate for violent crime was 166.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the rate for property crime was 528.1 per 100,000.
