Violent Crime Down, Property Crime Unchanged in 2003
WASHINGTON
Property crime nationwide remained unchanged in 2003 from
the year before, while violent crimes showed a 3.2-percent
decline according to preliminary 2003 crime data released
by the FBI. There were a negligible, 0.1-percent fewer
amount of crimes on property committed in the United States
in 2003, though there was a 0.4-percent increase in
burglaries.
Despite a 1.3-percent increase in murders, violent crimes
were down 3.2 percent according to the figures released May
24 by the FBI in its Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime
Report.
The final numbers will be released this fall and will be
published in SSI‘s 2005 Buyers’ Guide and Fact
Book.
Regionally, a more than 2-percent decrease in property
crimes in the Northeast and Midwest were negated by a
nearly 2-percent increase in property crimes in the West
and a 0.5-percent increase in the South. Property crimes
consist of burglaries, larceny-theft and motor vehicle
theft.
Midsized cities with populations between 250,000 and
500,000 showed the sharpest drop in property crimes – 3.4
percent – and a decline was also seen in America’s larger
cities. All other cities saw an increase in property
incidents.
Violent crimes, which include murder, forcible rape,
robbery and aggravated assault, saw its sharpest drops in
the Midwest, where murders were down 4.7 percent, robberies
were down 5.9 percent and violent crime overall saw a 7-
percent decrease. Violent crime was down in all of the U.S.
regions, though the Northeast saw the biggest spike in
murders, 5.1 percent.
What appears to be a nationwide trend toward a drop in
violent crime was reflected most in the nation’s largest
cities, which saw a 6.5-percent reduction in violent
crimes.
The incidences of arson – separated from the property and
violent crime categories – showed a sharp 6.9-percent drop
nationwide in 2003.
To see the complete Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime
Report, access the HREF=http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm>FBI’s Web site.
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