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Home • Crime in the U.S. • 2012 • Crime in the U.S. 2012 • Tables • 5TableDataDecPDF

Table 5 Data Declaration

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Table 5 Data Declaration

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Crime in the United States, by State, 2012

The FBI collects these data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

General comments

  • This table provides the estimated number of offenses and the rate of crime per 100,000 inhabitants for each state.
  • This table provides the estimated number of offenses and the actual number of offenses reported in Metropolitan Statistical Areas, cities outside metropolitan areas, and nonmetropolitan counties, and the rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) for each community type, and the estimated population for each state.
  • The data collection methodology for forcible rape used by Minnesota (with the exceptions of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) did not comply with national UCR Program guidelines. Consequently, the state’s figures for forcible rape were estimated for inclusion in this table.
  • The UCR Program does not have sufficient data to estimate for arson.

Caution against ranking

Any comparisons of crime among different locales should take into consideration relevant factors in addition to the area’s crime statistics. Caution Against Ranking provides more details concerning the proper use of UCR statistics.

Methodology

  • The data used in creating this table were from all law enforcement agencies in the UCR Program (including those submitting less than 12 months of data).
  • Crime statistics include estimated offense totals (except arson) for agencies submitting less than 12 months of offense reports for each year.
  • The statistics under the heading “Area actually reporting” represent offense totals for agencies submitting 12 months of data and estimated totals for agencies submitting less than 12 but more than 2 months of data.
  • The statistics in the table under the heading “Estimated total” represent the above “Area actually reporting” plus estimated totals for agencies submitting 2 months or less of data.

Population estimation

The FBI calculated 2012 state growth rates using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 and 2012 provisional state/national population estimates. The FBI then estimated population figures for city and county jurisdictions by applying the 2012 state growth rate to the updated 2011 U.S. Census Bureau data.