2007 CRIME IN THE UNITED STATES

We’ve just published on this website our most comprehensive statistical product—our latest annual Crime in the United States report—and there are dozens of charts, tables, and documents to explore.

Among the many numbers for 2007, the big picture is clear: crime is down.

Nationwide, violent crime fell for the first time since 2005. Property crime declined for the fifth straight year. And each of the seven specific offense categories—from aggravated assault to murder—was down from 2006.

A few more top line numbers:

• An estimated 1.4 million violent crimes were reported last year, a drop of 0.7 percent compared to 2006.
• Property crimes fell 1.4 percent in 2007, to an estimated 9.8 million.
• Larceny/theft offenses accounted for two-thirds of all property crimes, and victims of property crimes—excluding arson—collectively lost an estimated $17.6 billion.

The report is the product of painstaking work by our law enforcement partners and our own Criminal Justice Information Services Division in West Virginia. In 2007, more than 17,700 city, county, college and university, state, tribal, and federal agencies voluntarily participated in the program. Those agencies represented nearly 95 percent of the country’s population.

Along with stats on violent crime and property crime, the publication contains a wealth of other information, including:

• Staffing levels of more than 14,600 U.S. law enforcement agencies;
• A crime map;
• Data about the age, gender, and race of arrestees for 29 separate offenses, including murder; and
• Expanded information relating to homicides.

An important note about the numbers: Once again, the report features a prominent message cautioning against using the statistics to rank cities or counties. Such rankings can lead to simplistic or incomplete analyses, overlooking the many variables impacting crime and its reporting.

For additional information about our Uniform Crime Reporting program, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Resources: Crime in the United States 2007 | National Press Release