May 23, 2011 in News

Crime rates continue dropping

• Print
• Email
• Share

WASHINGTON — Crime levels fell across the board last year, extending a multi-year downward trend with a 5.5 percent drop in the number of violent crimes in 2010 and a 2.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes.

Year-to-year changes released Monday by the FBI in its preliminary figures on crimes reported to police in 2010 also showed declines in all four categories of violent crime in 2010. All categories for property crime went down as well.

“In a word, remarkable,” said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University. In Fox’s view, the declines signify success for aggressive law enforcement and corrections programs and comprehensive crime prevention efforts. He said the crime levels could easily rise if the current environment of state and local budget cutting extends to law enforcement measures that are working.

Some experts are puzzled.

Expectations that crime would rise in the economic recession have not materialized. The size of the most crime-prone population age groups, from late teens through mid-20s, has remained relatively flat in recent years.

“I have not heard of any good explanations for the good news we’ve been experiencing in 2009 and 2010,” said professor Alfred Blumstein of Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz School of Public Policy. “I hope the trend continues and I’m going to keep searching for answers.”

Violent crime last increased in 2005. Property crime last increased in 2002.

The FBI reported that violent crime fell in all four regions of the country last year — 7.5 percent in the South, 5.9 in the Midwest, 5.8 percent in the West and 0.4 percent in the Northeast.

The bureau’s preliminary statistics for 2010 are based on data from more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Nationally, murder and non-negligent manslaughter declined 4.4 percent, forcible rape decreased 4.2 percent, robbery declined 9.5 percent, and aggravated assault was down 3.6 percent.

The downward trend for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was especially pronounced in the nation’s smallest cities, where it went down 25.2 percent for cities under 10,000 people. Murder actually rose 3 percent in cities with populations of 250,000 to half a million. In New York City, the number of murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases rose from 471 to 536, up 13.8 percent.

Among property crimes, motor vehicle theft showed the largest drop in 2010 — 7.2 percent — followed by larceny-theft, which was down 2.8 percent and burglary, a decline of 1.1 percent.

Eight comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  schleufer on May 23 at 4:18 p.m.

  anybody have any idea who the idiots are who been going all over spray painting the number 57 all over buildings fences light posts and the maple street bridge?

• 

  hamrsrscarry on May 23 at 5:28 p.m.

  The Heinz gang. They carry steak knives. Watch out for them.

• 

  terryalan on May 23 at 9:18 p.m.

  I posit that the crime rate is not necessarily down, people have become frustrated with the lack of any kind of response or follow through from the local LEP.

  I called Crime Check this evening to report (knowing full well that nothing would come of it) however 3 weeks ago the rear window of my Taurus was smashed out with a rock….Saturday night my lawn mower was stolen from my yard and tonight there is a bicycle that very likely was stolen and laying in tall grass out by my fence in the alley….

  Crime Check? “Did you want to file a police report or request additional patrols in your area”? I responded “I just wanted there to be awareness that things seem to be heating up in my neighborhood…..the night my car window was smashed a neighbor’s decorative concrete fence posts were broken off, a temp fence was completely toppled” The response was here is the number to call the police department to request additional patrols…xxxxxxxxxxx they are open from 8:30 to 4:30…[cool, totally my work hours] and goodby.

  We are truly alone. There is no protection, there is no safety. If I caught the ba$tards who stole my lawnmower in the act…there is no recourse. The police won’t come - property crimes are the lowest priority, doncha know….if I shot one of them my a## would be in a sling…

  We are truly on our own.

• 

  Teseract on May 23 at 9:59 p.m.

  Yup. Even calling 911 won’t get you much anymore. If you’re lucky the dispatcher won’t screw up your location and send the police/fire department to the wrong place.

  Last time I called 911 it was for a vehicle fire that was within 10’ of my house at the time. The fire truck sirens got louder and louder then quieter and quieter… 30 minutes later the truck rolled up quietly (after another call to 911).

  They’d found the fire by following the smoke column that was visible for miles away. Smoke signals were literally faster and more effective than 911 dispatch.

  Pitiful. If I’d needed the cops I’d be 6’ under right now.

• 

  Squid on May 23 at 11:16 p.m.

  If you add all the murders and assaults that the police committed, then the statistics would be completely different.

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on May 24 at 6:40 a.m.

  sure does not feel like the “national” statistics are mirrored here in Spokane County… it is likely still important to not go “Vigilante” here… ie defending your own property with a large caliber side arm… i just call 911 for problems in my setting…. and they always seem to come.. but perhaps the “available patrols” are greater in number because of the “address”/Location…
  My guess is that the Prison Industrial Complex will use the decrease in crime statistics to underline how putting so many people in jail “works”…. :))
  I for one am Not reassured by the likely bogus statistics.. the level of anger and road rage and domestic violence may not be fully reflected in these numbers… John

• 

  woamike on May 24 at 6:54 a.m.

  Hey Gus,

  Responding to your comments directed at me from another thread:

  Do I have to show you my DD Form 214 so you will stop questioning my 22 yrs, 1 month and 3 days of service?

  It’s not always 0 dark 30 from where I write… in fact it’s 1645 where I’m at right now.

  You often “invite” me and others to join you in your charity work when you feel we’re not being “charitible” enough. You and I are at different stages in life. Right now I have more money than time. I’m away from home a majority of the time trapsing around the world earning my daily bread. That is why I give $$$$$ to charity rather than time. Currently, my saintly wife is covering for both of us in the charitable time dept. So, in the future, kindly stop trying to lay a guilt trip on me for not going down to YOUR favorite charity.

  Peace

• 

  lewis8457 on May 24 at 7:03 a.m.

  Once people stop trusting their police the numbers are of no use. The police in Spokane are dangerous i would never call them, the few times i did they never showed up. Like last year when a punk threatened me in the alley with a gun.

  later that same punk ran a stop sign hit another car sending it into a pole where a lady was paralyzed. Maybe if they showed up when i called that lady would still be walking around.

  The lack of caring by police causes other effects.

  If someone attacks me or my property a baseball bat works wonders for home justice. When your done beating the hell out em just throw em out in the street the cops will find em eventually

  Soon we will all be packing heat.