Year in Crime: Counting Maryland's Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Car Thefts, Burglaries

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland law enforcement reported 516 murders in 2015 up from 362 in 2014. Motorists discovered 13,151 cars stolen — 36 vehicles each day, but not a significant increase over the previous year. It's just two data points in the FBI's annual crime report, released this week.

Agencies around the country provide data to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and that information is released annually in the "Crime in the United States" report.

Nationally, law enforcement reports violent crime (murders, rapes, robberies, assaults) were up 3.9 percent in 2015, but property crimes (burglaries, thefts) fell by 2.6 percent. The FBI notes the increase in violent crime year-over-year is still far below the rate in 2006: 16.5 percent.

Maryland's totals saw a similar pattern, with an increase in violent crimes and a decrease in property crimes.

Here are Maryland's 2015 totals, along with the 2014 totals.

Violent Crime: 27,462

• Murder and non-negligent manslaughter: 516 - up from 362
• Rape: 1,666 - up from 1,632
• Robbery: 9,863 - up from 9,565
• Aggravated Assault: 15,417 - up from 15,208

Property Crime: 139,048

• Burglary: 25,678 - down from 28,134
• Larceny-theft: 100,219 - down from 109,140
• Motor vehicle theft: 13,151 - up from 13,116

Firearms were used in an estimated 75 percent of murder cases in Maryland, according to the FBI data. Nationally, the FBI report notes that firearms were used in 71.5 percent of the nation's murders.

FBI Director James Comey noted the data is released to promote more transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

"We also need better, more informed conversations about crime and policing in this country," he said in a statement. "Information that is accurate, reliable, complete, and timely will help all of us learn where we have problems and how to get better."

Robberies nationwide resulted in a loss of $390 million and thefts included an estimated $14.3 billion in stolen property.

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