The annual survey of crime compiled by the FBI indicated a 0.5 percent decline from 2018 in violent crime—which includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault—in the United States.
According to FBI data, an estimated 1,203,808 violent crimes were committed nationwide last year, with a rate of approximately 366.7 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, the property crime rate fell 4.1 percent from a year earlier, marking 17 consecutive years of declines, with an estimated 2,109.9 offenses per 100,000 people, the law enforcement agency also found.
Robbery and rape offenses fell 4.7 percent and 2.7 percent last year, respectively, compared to 2018, the law enforcement agency stated. Some types of violent crimes did see a rise, however. Aggravated assault rose 1.3 percent and murder and non-negligent manslaughter offenses rose by 0.3 percent.
The FBI data was compiled using figures from law enforcement agencies voluntarily taking part in its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The law enforcement agency stated that 16,554 of 18,667 eligible federal, state, county, city, university and college, and tribal agencies submitted data.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to protect the public safety of citizens and communities across the United States through violent crime initiatives like Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Guardian and, most recently, Operation Legend,” he added.
“Violent crime rates had been increasing during 2015–2016, so I am proud of the hard work by all prosecutors and law enforcement agents across the nation who have reduced violent crime rates during each of the last three years. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to protect the American public from the violence of criminals.”
For women, the fall was more significant, dropping by 27 percent from 2018 to 2019.
The data was collected for the National Crime Victimization Survey, the nation’s largest crime survey collected annually which asks about 160,000 individuals whether they are victims of crime regardless of whether the crime had been reported to the police.
President Donald Trump’s administration has been taking a hard-line stance against crime. Since 2017, his administration has ramped up federal law enforcement in areas of immigration, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses.