New FBI Stats: Crime Rates Continue Their Long Decline

Both violent crime and property crime declined last year.

Fox Features Syndicate

Last year, when the FBI released its crime statistics for 2012, there was a slight uptick in the murder rate—not a big increase, but an interruption in a long decline. The interruption turned out to be brief: Yesterday the bureau announced its numbers for 2013, and they show murder heading downward again. According to the new stats, there were 14,196 murders last year. That's a 4.4 percent decrease from 2012, a 7.8 percent drop from 2009, and a 12.1 percent decline from 2004. The murder rate dropped even more steeply: down 5.1 percent from 2012, 10.5 percent from 2009, 18.3 percent from 2004.

Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault are all happening less frequently as well. Indeed, violent crime in general is down:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

So is property crime:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Sadly, the news doesn't seem to have penetrated the public mind.

The most common reason for an arrest last year? Drug violations. And happily, even drug arrests are decreasing.

Comments

[PM]

Inb4 one of Tulpa's socks comes in to credit the decrease to police militarization.

Inb4 one of our resident sjw trolls comes in to blame the decrease on unreported rapes.

[Idle Hands]

It's a race to the bottom and your on top. Loser.

[Steve G]

Inb4 millennials or quarantines are invoked

[Restoras]

I blame global warming

[waffles]

This is bullshit. We can't let the facts get in the way of the narrative. The world is more dangerous because I am more scared. I wouldn't be scared if the world wasn't dangerous, huh, smart guy?

[Idle Hands]

But I FEEL like they should be INCREASING.

[Swiss Servator, spare a franc?]

C'mon all you other cities - Chicago just can't carry the load anymore!

[The Late P Brooks]

See? Locking up all the young black men worked!

NEEDZ MOAR DEATH PENALTIES!

[Steve G]

Interesting (slight) contrast to the BJS stats on violent crime. It would appear that on a per capita basis 2013 is still higher than 2010 and possibly '11. Requires further digging...
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv13.pdf

[Swiss Servator, spare a franc?]

Oh, and another WINNING alt-text for Walker.

[Steve G]

The graphs be like, 'hello?! we can haz alt text too?'

[Jima]

See! SEE!!! If we just had a few more laws to outlaw stuff we haven't criminalized yet, we can get this to ZERO!!!!!!!!!! We need more politicians!

Irony alert

[Mainer2]

Imagine how much lower crime could go if we took away everyone's guns.

[Ichabod]

And knives for good measure!

[e.g., possession of a knife is illegal in public places in Australia unless you have a "reasonable excuse"]

Queensland FAQ: http://bit.ly/1tCQ8Y0
Weapons Act of 1990: http://bit.ly/1uYHzgV

[Rev-Match]

Yesterday the bureau announced its numbers for 2013, and they show murder heading downward again

Everyone, please continue to freak out about arbitrary firearm features.

[GILMORE]

These are just lies perpetuated by the patriarchy to cover up our pervasive Rape Culture

Why, they even have their own RAPE ADDENDUM where they point out that rape has Increased by 41%!!?!!

"readers are cautioned against assuming increases in rape numbers are due to an increase of violence or number of sexual assaults, but rather, the increase may simply be a reflection of the more inclusive definition."

SHUT UP PATRIARCH!! WORDS ARE VIOLENCE!!

[Free Society]

I was once having sex with a girl who, despite my protests, insisted on 'dick surfing' which is just wobbling side-to-side instead of the more common in-and-out. No means no and she didn't respect that. I was raped, clearly.