Violent Crime Up For Second Year

The number of violent crimes rose in the United States for the second straight year in 2006, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  This marks the first sustained increase in homicides, robberies, and other serious offenses since the early 1990s.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report showed an increase of 1.3 percent in violent offenses last year, following a 2.3 increase in 2005, which was the first significant increase in violent crime in 15 years.  The report also showed that murders in big cities jumped by almost 7 percent last year.  Robberies increased 6 percent nationwide. Property crimes, such as auto theft and vandalism fell by 2.9 percent, and the number of rapes and assaults declined slightly.

Cities with big increases included Orlando and Miami in Florida; Oakland and San Francisco in CA; Phoenix, AZ; Corpus Christi, TX; Grand Rapids, MI; Reno, NV; and Little Rock, AR.

Criminologists and law enforcement officials offer a variety of theories for the upturn in violence, including growing numbers of released prison inmates, the rise of gangs, and an increase in the juvenile population.  Many police chiefs and mayors have complained that they have been stretched thin in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

The number of violent offenses fell steadily from 1993 until early in this decade. The first significant increase came in 2005, driven by drastic rises in homicides and robberies in many mid-size cities.

The FBI’s annual crime survey is based on a compilation of reports from more than 17,000 police agencies nationwide.  A final report will be released later this year.