Violent crimes flat, property crimes down across U.S. in 2014

    Sept. 2, 2015
    Report from Bureau of Justice Statistics sheds light on nation’s crime trends

    Source SecurityInfoWatch.com

    According to a new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the violent crime rate in the U.S. did not change significantly in 2014 compared to the previous year while the nation’s property crime rate actually declined.

    In 2014, BJS said the violent crime rate, which includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault, was 20.1 victimizations per 1,000 U.S. residents 12 years of age or older. Incidents of violence resulting in an injury (5.2 per 1,000) and violence involving a firearm (1.7 per 1,000) also did not change significantly.

    In comparison, the property crime rate, which includes burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft, fell from 131.4 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2013 to 118.1 per 1,000 in 2014. The overall decline was largely the result of a decline in theft.

    An estimated 3 million people (1.1 percent of all persons age 12 or older in the U.S.) experienced one or more violent victimizations in 2014. Among households in the United States, an estimated 10.4 million (8.0 percent of all households) experienced one or more property victimizations.

    In 2014, 46 percent of violent victimizations, 56 percent of serious violent victimizations and 37 percent of property victimizations were reported to police. There was no significant change in the percentage of violent, serious violent or property victimizations reported to police from the prior year. The overall rate of property crime reported to police decreased from 47.4 to 43.7 victimizations per 1,000 households from 2013 to 2014.

    In 2014, a greater percentage of robberies (61 percent) and aggravated assaults (58 percent) were reported to police than simple assaults (40 percent) and rape or sexual assaults (34 percent). A larger percentage of motor vehicle thefts (83 percent) than burglaries (60 percent) and other thefts (29 percent) were reported to police.

    The rate of simple assault declined from 15.8 victimizations per 1,000 persons in 2013 to 12.4 per 1,000 in 2014. From 2013 to 2014, there were no significant changes in rates of violent crime across urban, suburban and rural areas.