Violent Crime IS Going Up

The trend has changed.

Male Forensic Scientist Holding an Evidence Bag With a Gun Inside

News reports have been saying lately that more and more people, including women and minorities, are arming themselves. WE reported in late 2016 that violent crime had slightly decreased (“5 Reasons to Carry Concealed in 2017”) , although news reports hyping crime makes it seem like there is a lot more crime than there really is.

Well, according to preliminary reports released now by the FBI, violent crime is once again on the rise. The FBI report revealed increases in reported violent crimes but declines in reported property crimes for the first six months of 2016 when compared with figures for the first six months of 2015. The report is based on information from 13,366 law enforcement agencies that submitted three to six months of comparable data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program for the first six months of 2015 and 2016.

Here are the numbers:
Violent Crime:

  • Crimes considered violent (murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rapes, aggravated assault, robbery) increased in the first six months of 2016 compared with data from the first six months of 2015.
  • The number of aggravated assaults increased 6.5 percent, murders increased 5.2 percent, rapes (legacy definition) increased 4.4 percent, rapes (revised definition) rose 3.5 percent, and robbery offenses were up 3.2 percent.
  • Violent crime increased 9.7% in cities with populations of 1,000,000 and up.
  • In cities with 500,000 to 999,999 residents, violent crime increased 5.2%.
  • In cities with 250,000 to 499,999 residents, violent crime increased 4.3%.
  • Violent crime rose 6.3% in metropolitan counties (areas that are not incorporated as a city or town)
  • Violent crime rose 1.6% in non-metropolitan counties
  • Violent crime increased 6.4% in the Western United States
  • Violent crime increased 5.9% in the Midwestern United States
  • Violent crime increased 5.9% in the Southern United States
  • Violent crime increased 1.2% in the Northeastern United States

Read the original report for statistics on property crime and arson, which is considered a separate category than other property crimes. (FYI, arson offenses decreased).

In a separate bit of statistics we uncovered, we learned that thefts of guns from federal firearms licensees have gone up by 48% in the last five years. Maryland reported having 38 gun shop burglaries in 2016 – fourth-most in the U.S. behind Texas, North Carolina and California. These statistics were in an article about a recent theft from a gun shop in Maryland in which burglars used crowbars to smash cases and make off with more than 30 weapons in a burglary that lasted a mere 90 seconds.

So there, folks. You’ve got statistics to back up your reasons for wanting to carry. Violent crime is going up.