Crime decreases in the United States for ninth straight year

November 13, 2001

Free Market Foundation

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation reported recently that serious crime in America fell slightly in 2000. However the decreases were the smallest in years suggesting to some analysts that long-term declines in the number of murders, robberies and other crimes may be bottoming out.

Here are some of the report’s highlights:

About 11.6 million offences were reported to authorities last year an average of 4,124 crimes for every 100,000 people.

Serious crime was 14 percent lower than in 1996 and 22 percent lower than in 1991.

The overall crime index decreased by 0.2 percent from 1999.

Crime decreased 1.8 percent in suburban counties and 0.1 percent in cities.

The western part of the U.S. was the only region of the country that experienced an increase in reported crimes 1 percent.

Total juvenile arrests fell 4.8 percent from 1999 to 2000.

Source: Associated Press, FBI Says Serious Crime Decreased Slightly in 2000, USA Today, October 23, 2000; Crime in the United States, 2000, October 2001, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For text http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/10/22/fbi-crime.htm
For FBI reports http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/00cius.htm
For more on Crime http://www.ncpa.org/iss/cri/

FMF Policy Bulletin\6 November 2001