Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, January - June 2002

According to preliminary data released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program today, the number of crime index offenses reported to law enforcement during the first six months of 2002 increased 1.3 percent when compared to figures reported for the same period of 2001. The Crime index, which is viewed by many as an indicator of the nation’s crime experience, is comprised of violent crime offenses and property crime offenses. The modified crime index includes arson as a property crime.

Overall, violent crime, which includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, decreased 1.7 percent when comparing data reported for the six-month periods. Property crime, which includes burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft, increased 1.7 percent. Arson offenses, tabulated separately from the crime index, decreased 2.6 percent for the first six months of 2002 when compared to data from that same period of 2001.

The violent crime offenses of murder and forcible rape both showed increases in 2002 when compared to 2001 numbers, with murder increasing 2.3 percent and forcible rape, 1.8 percent. However, robbery showed a decrease of 0.4 percent, and aggravated assault declined 2.8 percent.

All of the property crimes increased in the six-month period. Burglary and motor vehicle theft each rose 4.2 percent, and larceny-theft, 0.5 percent.

Among the city population groups, cities with populations of 10,000 to 24,999 and those with populations under 10,000 inhabitants had decreases—0.4 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively—in the number of crime index offenses reported. Increases in crime index offense volumes ranged from 0.2 percent for cities with 1 million or more inhabitants to 3.1 percent for cities with populations of 50,000 to 99,999.

The number of reported crime index offenses in suburban counties rose 3.6 percent; in rural counties, the number of offenses decreased 1.9 percent.

By region, the West showed a 5.9-percent increase in crime index offenses, and the South reported an increase of 0.6 percent. Decreases in the volume of crime index offenses were noted in the Northeast, 2.1 percent, and in the Midwest, 1.4 percent.