If you base your knowledge of crime on what is presented by the media, and the Trump administration, it would be easy to assume that U.S. crime is at an all-time high. However, quite the opposite is true. Here are some surprising facts about current crime rates, nationwide.
Drop in Violent Crimes
The rate of violent crime has dropped dramatically over the past 25 years, following its peak in the early 1990s. According to the FBI’s annual crime report and a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) survey of more than 90,000 U.S. households, violent crime has fallen between 48 and 74 percent since 1993. That being said, the FBI did report a 20 percent rise in the murder rate between 2014 and 2016. Even so, overall violent crime is the lowest its been in decades, across the nation.
Drop in Property Crimes
Property crimes—which include burglary and motor vehicle theft—have also seen a significant decrease in recent years. Similar to the drop in violent crime, property crime in the U.S. has fallen between 48 and 66 percent between 1993 and 2016, and property crimes are much more common than those of a violent nature. A Boston criminal defense attorney can help you protect your rights if you’ve been charged with any type of criminal offense.
Pessimism
Public opinions about U.S. crime rarely lines up with actual statistics. For example, according to several polls, Americans commonly report that crime is up when data shows the exact opposite. In fact, according to 17 Gallup surveys taken since 1993, at least six-in-ten Americans said they believed there was more crime in that year compared to the previous year. Pew Research Center has experienced a similar outcome with their surveys. In a 2016 survey, more than half of registered voters said U.S. crime had worsened since 2008, even though it saw a rapid decline during that period.
Location, Location, Location
Crime varies widely based on geography. For example, while there were more than 600 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Alaska and Nevada, violent crime rates in Vermont and New Hampshire were below 200 for every 100,000 people. And Boston is no exception. According to statistics and police reports, serious crimes in Boston have dropped by up to 22 percent since 2014. But for many residents who live in areas with a higher concentration of violent crime—such as Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury—the drop isn’t as noticeable. “We still have a lot of work to do,” said Police Commissioner William B. Evans, who went on to say that even the most violent neighborhoods are more peaceful than in the past. A MA criminal defense lawyer can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been charged with a crime.
Unreported Crimes
Most crimes are never reported to law enforcement. Of the crime victims surveyed by the BJS, only 42 percent reported violent crimes to police, and only 36 percent reported property crimes. In many of these cases, the failure to report was due to a general feeling that law enforcement “would not or could not do anything to help” or that the offense was “a personal issue or too trivial to report.”
Altman & Altman, LLP – Boston’s Top Criminal Defense Law Firm
If you have been charged with any type of criminal offense, the skilled legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP can help. We have been protecting the rights of individuals charged with crimes for more than 50 years. Our experienced, knowledgeable attorneys have an impressive track record of getting clients’ charges reduced, or dismissed entirely. We will fight tirelessly to protect your rights, reputation, and freedom. Humans make mistakes. Don’t make another one by hiring the wrong attorney. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.