Crime—an Overview - Crime

The U.S. Department of Justice defines crime as all behaviors and acts for which society provides formally approved punishments. Written law, both federal and state, defines which behavior is criminal and which is not. Some behaviors—murder, robbery, and burglary—have always been considered criminal. Other actions, such as domestic violence or driving under the influence of drugs or …

Crime—an Overview - Factors In The Rate Of Crime

The FBI lists many factors that can influence the rate of crime in a particular area, including: …

Crime—an Overview - Crime On The Decline

In the 1990s much of the public believed the crime rate was increasing. The randomness of crime (drive-by shootings, driveway robberies), along with sensational news reporting, fed this belief. The BJS reported, in Perceptions of Neighborhood Crime, 1995 (Carol J. DeFrances and Steven K. Smith, Washington, D.C., 1998), that about 7.3 percent of U.S. households reported crime as a major problem in …

Crime—an Overview - Increases Predicted

Crime—an Overview - Decreases Noted In 2003

The general trend of a declining crime rate in recent years continued in 2003, according to preliminary UCR data released by the FBI in 2003. (See Table 1.1.) For the nation as a whole, in the first 6 months of 2003 data indicated a 3.1 percent decrease in violent crime and a decrease of 0.8 percent in property crime since 2002. According to the preliminary data for 2003 for violent crimes, robber…

Crime—an Overview - The Uniform Crime Reports

The FBI compiles various sets of crime statistics. In one category the FBI tracks the number of crimes by type as reported by local police. The more serious crime types are included in the Crime Index. A second category tracks cleared offenses. Cleared offenses are crimes for which at least one person is arrested, charged, and turned over to the court for prosecution. This does not necessarily mea…

Crime—an Overview - Arrests

In 2002 law enforcement agencies nationwide made 13.7 million arrests for all criminal infractions excluding traffic violations. This figure includes all offenses reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI, including crimes not counted in the FBI's tabulations on specific crimes. There were 620,510 arrests for Crime Index violent crimes and 1.6 million arrests for Crime Index pro…

Crime—an Overview - The "take" From Each Crime

In 2002 the value of the goods taken in the average crime varied. Generally, the value of goods taken is very low compared to the risk and consequences of the crime. The majority of those arrested in 2002 netted less than $200. In 37.8 percent of cases the value of the goods taken was under $50 and in 22.6 percent of cases it was between $50 and $200. It was over $200 in 39.6 percent of property c…

Crime—an Overview - The Federal Government's Role

Federal spending accounts for only about 10 percent of all law enforcement resources. State and local governments have always played the central role in controlling crime. The federal government is required to enforce only laws within its jurisdiction, such as forgery and espionage, TABLE 1.7 Arrests by race, 2002 and to operate prisons for those convicted of federal crimes. Yet the federa…

Crime—an Overview - State Corrections Budgets

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, total state spending for corrections in fiscal year 2002 was $38.5 billion, an increase of some 2.6 percent from 2001. Corrections accounted for about 7 percent of all state general-fund spending in 2002. Despite a declining crime rate, the rise in state prison populations accounted for much of the increase, with the construction of n…