FBI Crime Statistics: How Did Your Town Rate?

JOHNSTON, RI — Nationwide, violent crime went up about four percent in 2016, according to the FBI's annual report, Crime in the United States. But when property crimes (such as car thefts are included) the overall crime rate is down.
Nationally, the estimated rate of violent crime was 386.3 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the estimated rate of property crime was 2,450.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the FBI data. In 2015, the estimated rate of violent crime was 372.6 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the property crime rate was 2,487.0 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants.
Experts at The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University say that overall, the data from the FBI show a decrease in the crime rate for the 15th year in a row.
The increase in the national murder rate is due in part to upticks in cities such as Chicago, accounting for more than 20 percent of the nationwide murder increase, the center explained. The 11 largest cities with populations greater than 1 million saw a 20 percent murder increase and a 7.2 percent violent crime increase. The Brennan Center says its analysis shows the murder rate increased 7.9 percent nationally, which is consistent with the FBI’s own findings. A preliminary analysis of crime in 2017 by the Brennan Center estimates that the rates of overall crime, violence and murder in the 30 largest cities will all decrease in 2017.
The overall crime rate decreased by 1.4 percent in 2016, according to the center’s analysis.
“The FBI’s data show trends similar to what we’ve found for crime, murder, and violence in 2016,” Ames Grawert, a counsel in the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, said in a statement. “Crime remains near historic lows, with an uptick in murder and violence driven in part by problems in some of our nation’s largest cities. At the same time, other cities like New York are keeping crime down.”
The FBI said that of the 18,481 agencies eligible to participate in the program, 16,782 submitted data in 2016.
“For the sake of all Americans, we must confront and turn back the rising tide of violent crime. And we must do it together,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our state, local, and tribal partners across the country to deter violent crime, dismantle criminal organizations and gangs, stop the scourge of drug trafficking, and send a strong message to criminals that we will not surrender our communities to lawlessness and violence.”
The Trump administration has warned of a crime wave, and President Donald Trump has often singled out the city of Chicago, threatening to send in the feds to combat the violent crime.
In its analysis, the Brennan Center found that gun violence accounted for 93 percent of the increase in murders.
Under violent crimes, the FBI lists murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
Here are the numbers for the cities and towns.

Patch staffer Alex Newman contributed to this report.

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