FBI Releases Preliminary 2008 Crime Stats for Oregon and Washington

Today, the FBI released a preliminary report detailing January - December 2008 crime data based on the submissions of 12,750 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Each of these agencies had to submit at least six comparable months of data to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program in both 2007 and 2008. Nationally, both violent and property crimes saw decreases of 2.5 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. In Oregon and Southwest Washington, we are seeing a mixed bag of results. Statistics from the report include the following:

• Portland saw a slight increase in the number of murders, but decreases in every other crime category measured.

• Gresham saw an increase in the numbers of murders, aggravated assaults, and burglaries, but it saw decreases in the rape, robbery, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft categories.

• Eugene saw increases in every crime category.

• Salem saw increases in the number of murders, robberies and burglaries, but decreases in the numbers of aggravated assaults, larceny-thefts and motor vehicle thefts.

• Vancouver saw increases in the number of robberies and motor vehicle thefts, but decreases in the numbers of murders, rapes, aggravated assaults, burglaries and larceny-thefts.

Note: the raw numbers of murders and, in some cases rapes, are so small, that any increase or decrease is going to tend to show as a large percentage.

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program collects data on the following crimes: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-threat, and motor vehicle thefts.

PORTLAND (Preliminary - 2008)

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter
2007 - 22
2008 - 26

Forcible Rape
2007 - 280
2008 - 250

Robbery
2007 - 1289
2008 - 1132

Aggravated Assault
2007 - 2110
2008 - 2037

Burglary
2007 - 4840
2008 - 4307

Larceny-Theft
2007 - 21,978
2008 - 21597

Motor Vehicle Theft
2007 - 4768
2008 - 3339

GRESHAM (Preliminary - 2008)

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter
2007 - 1
2008 - 6

Forcible Rape
2007 - 74
2008 - 72

Robbery
2007 - 170
2008 - 156

Aggravated Assault
2007 - 225
2008 - 261

Burglary
2007 - 627
2008 - 703

Larceny-Theft
2007 - 2671
2008 - 2502

Motor Vehicle Theft
2007 - 1034
2008 - 684

EUGENE (Preliminary - 2008)

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter
2007 - 1
2008 - 2

Forcible Rape
2007 - 55
2008 - 60

Robbery
2007 - 181
2008 - 223

Aggravated Assault
2007 - 189
2008 - 211

Burglary
2007 - 1640
2008 - 1704

Larceny-Theft
2007 - 5119
2008 - 6814

Motor Vehicle Theft
2007 - 1045
2008 - 1303

SALEM (Preliminary - 2008)

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter
2007 - 3
2008 - 9

Forcible Rape
2007 - 58
2008 - 58

Robbery
2007 - 132
2008 - 136

Aggravated Assault
2007 - 390
2008 - 369

Burglary
2007 - 915
2008 - 1094

Larceny-Theft
2007 - 5627
2008 - 5428

Motor Vehicle Theft
2007 - 892
2008 - 651

VANCOUVER (Preliminary - 2008)

Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter
2007 - 7
2008 - 0

Forcible Rape
2007 - 118
2008 - 105

Robbery
2007 - 166
2008 - 176

Aggravated Assault
2007 - 355
2008 - 324

Burglary
2007 - 1005
2008 - 842

Larceny-Theft
2007 - 4581
2008 - 4248

Motor Vehicle Theft
2007 - 971
2008 - 1208

Final figures for all cities during 2008 will be available in October 2009.

This preliminary report does not contain data for cities in Oregon smaller than those listed above. The FBI simply compiles the information as it is provided from local jurisdictions. You will need to contact those local jurisdictions for any analysis of the numbers listed above. You can view and download the entire report from the FBI's website at www.fbi.gov.