After rising for two straight years, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation declined from the previous year’s total. The declining trend continued for property crimes, as those offenses were down for the fifth year in a row.
Statistics released today by the FBI show that the estimated volume of violent crime was down 0.7 percent, and the estimated volume of property crime decreased 1.4 percent in 2007 when compared with 2006 figures. The estimated rate of violent crime was 466.9 occurrences per 100,000 inhabitants (a 1.4 percent decrease from the 2006 rate), and the estimated rate of property crime was 3,263.5 per 100,000 inhabitants (a 2.1 percent decline).
The FBI presented the data today in the 2007 edition of Crime in the United States, a statistical compilation of offense and arrest data as reported by law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. The FBI collected these data via the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.
The UCR program gathers offense data for violent and property crimes. Violent crimes are the offenses of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault; property crimes are the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The program also collects arrest data for violent and property crimes as well as 21 additional offenses that include all other offenses except traffic violations.
2007 Crime Statistics Summary
- There were an estimated 1,408,337 violent crimes reported nationwide in 2007.
- All four of the violent crime offenses declined in 2007 when compared with figures from 2006.
- The estimated number of forcible rapes declined 2.5 percent.
- The estimated number of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters dropped 0.6 percent.
- The estimated number of aggravated assaults decreased by 0.6 percent.
- The estimated number of robberies decreased 0.5 percent.
- There were an estimated 9,843,481 property crimes, excluding arson, reported nationwide in 2007. (Though the FBI classifies arson as a property crime, it does not estimate arson data because of variations in the level of participation at the agency level. Consequently, arson is not included in the estimated property crime total.)
- Each of the property crimes also declined in 2007 compared with the 2006 data.
- Motor vehicle theft decreased 8.1 percent.
- The estimated number of larceny-thefts decreased 0.6 percent.
- The estimated number of burglaries declined 0.2 percent.
- In 2007, victims of property crimes, excluding arson, collectively lost an estimated $17.6 billion.
- The FBI estimated that law enforcement agencies nationwide made 14,209,365 arrests in 2007, excluding those for traffic offenses.
- The arrest rate for violent crime was 200.2 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants; for property crime, the rate was 544.1 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants.
- The rate of arrests per 100,000 in population:
- For murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in 2007 was 4.5.
- Forcible rape was 7.7.
- Robbery was 42.9.
- Aggravated assault was 145.1.
- Property crime arrests per 100,000 in population.
- 101.5 arrests for burglary.
- 398.0 arrests for larceny-theft.
- 39.5 arrests for motor vehicle theft.
- 5.1 arrests for arson.
Source: Our Annual Digest Of Crime
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