Violent Crimes and Property Crimes Remain at 30-year Lows

Violent and property crime rates in 2004 remained at the lowest levels since the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) began its annual National Criminal Victimization Survey in 1973, according to the Department of Justice.

The average annual violent crime rates for the period 2003-2004 were lower than crime rates for the previous period 2001-2002.

The rate of every major violent and property crime measured by the survey fell significantly between 1993 and 2004. Rates were unchanged from 2003 to 2004.

• From 1993 through 2004, the violent crime rate fell 57 percent, and the property crime rate declined by 50 percent.
• The number of violent crimes decreased from an estimated 11 million in 1993 to 5.2 million in 2004.
• Since 1993, a decline in violent crime victimization has occurred across every race, ethnic group, and income level measured.
• People who historically have been the most vulnerable to violent crime - males, blacks and youths-continued to be victimized at higher rates during 2004 than other resident groups, although all groups experienced lower criminal violence rates than those of prior years.

During 2004, males were equally vulnerable to violence by strangers (50 percent of offenders were strangers) and non-strangers (48 percent). Females were most often victimized by non-strangers (64 percent).

Firearm use in crimes has declined substantially during the last ten years. In 1993, 11 percent of all non lethal violent crimes were committed by an offender with a firearm, compared to 6 percent in 2004. The per capita rate of firearm victimization (1.4 per 1,000 victimizations) in 2004 represents a decline of more than two-thirds from the peak year in 1994 (six per 1,000).

Reporting crimes to police grew from 43 percent of all violent crimes in 1993 to 50 percent in 2004. During the same period, property crime reporting increased from 34 percent to 39 percent. Growth in reporting varied by the type of crime.

The victimization survey is the nation's primary source of information about the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of personal victimization among individuals age 12 and older, and property crime in the United States . Criminal Victimization, 2004 (NCJ-210674) can be found at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv04.htm.