Preliminary
Crime Statistics for January–June 2003
Washington,
D.C. -- The Nation experienced a 3.1-percent
decrease in violent crime and an 0.8-percent
reduction in property crime during the first
6 months of 2003 compared to the same period
in 2002, according to the FBI's Preliminary
Semiannual Uniform Crime Report released today.
The
preliminary semiannual report is based on information
from law enforcement agencies that contributed
3–6 comparable months of data to the FBI
during January–June 2002 and 2003. A total
of 9,908 agencies met the criteria to be included
in the current report.
Violent
Crime
When
data for January–June 2003 were compared
to data reported for the corresponding months
in 2002, homicide was the only violent crime
to show an increase. Nationwide, murders increased
1.1 percent. Aggravated assaults declined 4.4
percent, and forcible rapes decreased
4.0 percent. Robberies showed a 0.5-percent
decline.
Collectively,
the Nation's largest cities, those with more
than 250,000 inhabitants, had decreases in violent
crime of slightly more than 4 percent when compared
to data reported for January–June 2002.
The largest decline, however, occurred in rural
counties, which revealed a 5.7-percent drop
during January–June 2003. Suburban counties
showed a 1.1-percent decline.
Violent
crime decreased in all regions of the United
States for the period. The decline was led by
a 6.2-percent decrease in the Midwest and a
3.2-percent decrease in the South.
Despite
the general decrease in violent crime, three
of the four regions showed increases in homicide
when data from January through June 2003 were
compared to those from the same months in the
prior year. The greatest increase occurred in
the Northeast, which had a 4.3-percent rise
in murder. The Midwest, with 1.9 percent fewer
murders, was the only region to show a decline
in all of the violent crime categories.
Property
Crime
The
Uniform Crime Reporting Program assesses the
level of property crime occurring in the Nation
by tracking the offenses of burglary, larceny-theft,
and motor vehicle theft. During the first 6
months of 2003, burglary declined 1.0 percent,
and larceny-theft dropped 1.1 percent; motor
vehicle theft, however, increased 0.9 percent
compared to data from January–June 2002.
January–June 2003 property crime data
for the Nation's cities showed little change
from the property crime data submitted for the
corresponding months in 2002. Property crime
in rural counties fell 2.5 percent; suburban
counties showed a 0.5-percent drop.
The
Western States experienced a 7.2-percent increase
in motor vehicle theft during the first half
of 2003 when compared to data from the corresponding
period in 2002. All other regions reflected
decreases in that offense. The Northeastern
States showed a 4.2-percent drop in motor vehicle
theft during January–June 2003. The Southern
and Midwestern States indicated decreases of
2.1 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively.
Arson,
which is not included in the property crime
total, declined 10.0 percent when comparing
data from the two periods. All four regions
of the country had fewer arsons. The Northeast
saw a decline of 11.8 percent, the South showed
a decrease of 11.1 percent, the West indicated
a 9.0-percent drop, and the Midwest had an 8.6-percent
decrease in arson offenses.
The
complete Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime
Report is available at the FBI's Internet site
at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.
