MA Crime Drops Sharply In New FBI Report

New FBI data shows that crime in the United States fell once again last year -- for the 16th consecutive year -- owing largely to continued declines in property offenses. Massachusetts fared particularly well in the agency's most recent report, with declines in the numbers of both violent and property crimes.

The FBI analysis of “Crime in the United States 2017” found that violent crimes nationwide fell an estimated 0.2 percent compared to 2016, while property crimes fell 3 percent.

And while the number of crimes was falling from year to year, despite the country's growing population, crime rates were falling as well: violent crime by 0.9 percent -- 394 per 100,000 residents, down from 397.5 in 2016 -- and property crime by 3.6 percent, 2,362 per 100,000 residents, down from 2,452.

There were also 17,284 murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the United States last year, a decrease of 0.7 percent from 2016.

In Massachusetts, the overall violent crime rate was even lower than the national rate, at 358 per 100,000 residents in 2017, a drop of 5.9 percent from 2016. But the rate of murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the state actually increased, from 2 to 2.5 per 100,000 people, even as the national rate was falling slightly.

The rate of property crimes in Massachusetts also fell sharply from year to year, from 1,560 to 1,437 per 100,000, a drop of 7.9 percent, more than twice as great at the national figure.

Among other notable findings:

• There were an estimated 1.28 million violent crimes across the country.
• The estimated number of robberies fell 4 percent and the estimated number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters fell 0.7 percent.
• The estimated number of aggravated assaults and rapes increased 1 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.
• The number of burglaries plunged 7.6 percent while the number of larceny-thefts fell 2.2 percent.

• The FBI estimated there were 10.6 million arrests last year — and that excludes traffic violations.

Experts at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School said the crime rate for the 30 largest cities in America dropped about 1 percent and that the murder rate fell 2.4 percent.

“Declines were especially pronounced in the largest cities,” the center wrote on its website. “In cities with populations over 1 million, murders decreased by 8.1 percent. In suburban areas — comprising more than a third of the country — murders dropped by 1.9 percent, essentially stabilizing.”

In Chicago, a city where killings have gained national headlines, the murder rate fell nearly 16 percent. There were 112 fewer killings in the city last year than in 2016.

Overall, the downward trend is expected to continue this year, the Brennan Center said. The 2018 murder rate in the largest cities is projected to be 7.6 percent lower than 2017 and will likely end up somewhere around the 2015 rate, which was near the bottom of the “historic” post-1990 decline.

The FBI crime report is based on data provided voluntarily by law enforcement agencies across the country. Violent crimes include murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

About 16,600 agencies submitted data last year out of more than 18,500 city, county, university and college, state, tribal and federal agencies.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

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