According to the latest Uniform Crime Report released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. experienced a rise in violent crime through the first half of 2006. The preliminary figures, based on reports from over 11,000 law enforcement agencies across the country, indicate a 3.7 percent increase in the number of violent crimes, as compared to the first six months of 2005. Violent crime classifications include murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
The nationwide totals show a rise in robbery by 9.7 percent, a rise in murder by 1.4 percent, and a rise in aggravated assault by 1.2 percent. While the new statistics also indicate an overall decrease in property crime by 2.6 percent, incidents of arson surged by 6.8 percent.
Looking at the numbers based on population, the murder rate increased by 6.7 percent in cities with populations over 1 million, however rose at a greater level at 8.4 percent in cities with a population between 500,000 and 1 million. Looking geographically, violent crime levels in the West and Midwest increased at a greater percentage than in the Northeast and South.
While murder and other violent crimes increased in the majority of US cities, several, to include metropolitan areas of Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, experienced a slight decrease from 2005 statistics.
However, the overall upward trend follows a similar increase in crime during 2005, which was preceded by numerous years of declines. These increases prompted the US Justice Department to announce that it would conduct a study of 18 cities in an effort to determine what factors are contributing to the rise in crime rates throughout the country. The study, entitled the Initiative for Safer Communities, has yet to be completed.
Contributing Factors
While officials have not determined specific reasons for the increase in crime, several factors are likely contributing to the overall trend.
• The number of young individuals involved in criminal acts has grown in recent years, as youths have become increasingly inclined to use violence to settle disputes.
According to local statistics in New Haven, Connecticut, approximately half of all murders in 2006 involved young people using guns for respect as well as revenge. Similar trends were reported in other cities, such as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Boston, and Washington DC, with juveniles accounting for a significant portion of violent crimes.
• The trend is connected to the proliferation of gangs in cities across the country, as members continue to increase recruitment among youths, including children as young as 10.
Furthermore, a rising number of gang members arrested during drug crackdowns in the 1990s are being released from prison. These individuals are attempting to reclaim their turf, increasingly through the use of juveniles who are recruited and/or forced to carry weapons and deliver drugs in an attempt to prevent arrests of older gang members. Law enforcement officials have also connected this rise in juvenile participation in gangs to decreases in funding for community programs designed for youths and the proliferation of illegal weapons.
• Decreases in overall funding for police programs have also contributed to the rising crime levels.
Following the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the federal government redirected significant funding away from traditional policing projects to homeland security related programs. The International Association of the Chiefs of Police has stated that at least US$2 billion has been cut from police programs since 2002. Additionally, local agencies have expanded traditional policing responsibilities in order to combat terrorism, as well as traditional crime. Similarly, the number of federal agents and investigations focusing on traditional crime has decreased since September 11th, as terrorism and national security duties have taken the forefront.
Further Studies Warranted
While crime levels in the US appear to be on the rise, further studies are required to better understand this developing trend and to predict whether it will continue in the long-term. Despite the increase in violent crime, current levels are still below those in the 1990s, when crime nationwide was at an all-time high.
