NCJ Number
191156
Date Published
September 1997
Length
424 pages
Annotation
This report explains the Uniform Crime Reporting program and presents crime statistics, arrest statistics, and other criminal justice statistics for 1996 for the country as a whole, as well as for regions, States, counties, cities, towns, and college and university campuses.
Abstract
The data came from monthly law enforcement reports or individual crime incident records transmitted directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or to centralized State agencies that then report to the FBI. The discussion notes that the Crime Index total dropped 3 percent from 1995 to nearly 13.5 million offenses in 1996. This total was the lowest annual serious crime count since 1986 and the fifth consecutive annual decline. An estimated 5,079 Crime Index offenses took place in 1996 for each 100,000 of the population, the lowest rate since 1984. Rates ranged from 5,726 in the South to 3,899 in the Northeast. The rates declined in all regions between 1995 and 1996. Twelve percent of the Index offenses reported to law enforcement were violent crimes; 88 percent were property crimes. The property stolen had an estimated value of $15.5 billion. The greatest losses were due to thefts of motor vehicles; televisions, radios, stereos, and similar items; and jewelry and precious metals. Law enforcement agencies recorded a 38 percent recovery rate for dollar losses in connection with stolen motor vehicles. The highest recovery percentages were for stolen motor vehicles, consumable goods, livestock, clothing and furs, and firearms. Law enforcement agencies nationwide recorded a 22-percent clearance rate for Crime Index offenses and made an estimated 2.8 million arrests for Index crimes. The statistics also covered the characteristics of the persons arrested, drug arrests, and numbers of police personnel. Figures, tables, and appended methodological information, glossary, directory of State Uniform Crime Reporting programs, and related information