FBI: Statistics Show Crime Lower in 2008
September 15, 2009
Unemployment, economic stress and state and local budget cuts may be getting worse, but at least in 2008, crime was lower in this country than in 2007, according to the latest statistics released by the FBI. Both violent crime and property crime categories showed overall decreases.
"Any reduction in crime is good news for police officers and the public, but I fear the good news will be short-lived," said Paul Birks, IBPO national vice president. "The worst of the economic downturn and resulting budget cuts weren't felt until late in 2008 and earlier this year. We won’t see the statistics reflecting those until next year."
The annual Crime in the United States report showed that violent crime declined for the second straight year, down 1.9 percent in 2008 from the previous year. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter were down 3.9 percent; aggravated assault was down 2.5 percent; and forcible rape was down 1.6 percent.
Property crimes declined for the sixth straight year, with a large decrease in motor vehicle theft (12.7 percent). Burglaries and larceny-thefts, however, both showed small increases over 2007 figures.
The statistics are reported to the FBI by nearly 17,800 law enforcement agencies across the United States, which represent nearly 95 percent of the nation's population.