Most categories of crime were down in the first six months of 2003 with the exception of murders and automobile theft according to new statistics released by the FBI. The numbers also show a slight drop in robberies and burglaries.
Compared to the same period in 2002, there was a 3.1-percent decrease in violent crime and a 0.8-percent reduction in property crime. The FBI’s semiannual report is based on information from 9,908 law enforcement agencies.
Among property crimes, burglaries declined 1 percent while larceny-theft had a 1.1 percent drop. Motor vehicle theft was the only property crime that saw an increase: 0.9 percent. Homicides were up 1.1 percent among violent crimes, which robberies were down 0.5 percent and aggravated assaults declined 4.4 percent.
Violent crime decreased in all regions of the United States for the period, led by a 6.2-percent decrease in the Midwest. However, murders were up 4.3 percent in the Northeast and a 3.2-percent decrease in the South.
The complete report can be found on the FBI’s Web site at www.fbi.gov.
