Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Increase in Violent Crime: National Trend Driven by Local Politics?

Friday, January 13, 2017

Increase in Violent Crime: National Trend Driven by Local Politics?

The FBI released its Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report earlier this week and the bad news is that violent crime increased for the second consecutive year.

Looking at the January to June period, violent crime decreased from 2012-2013 and then again from 2013-2014. From 2014-2015, we experienced an increase of 1.7%. From 2015-2016? An increase of 5.3%. This includes increases in all categories of violent crime – murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery – compared to the first six months of 2015. 

We can’t determine the roots of the increase without additional data. What the existing data does reveal is that the increase in violent crime has not been experienced uniformly throughout the country.

Metropolitan counties experienced a larger increase in violent crime than non-metropolitan counties (6.3% to 1.6%, respectively). Cities with a million or more residents had the largest increase in violent crime from the same period last year (+9.7%). Cities with half a million to a just under a million residents experienced an increase of 5.2% in violent crime and smaller cities experienced a 4.3% increase. Large cities with a million or more residents were also the site of an increasing number of property crimes (+2.1%) while smaller cities saw marginal increases or even decreasing amounts of property crime. 

Some cities had a more severe increase in violent crime than others. Chicago suffered through 13,729 violent crimes (including 317 murders) in the first six months of 2016. That’s 503 per 100,000 residents – an increase of 97 violent crimes since the same time the prior year. 

Baltimore, a city with roughly one quarter as many residents as Chicago, had 5,176 violent crimes during early 2016. That is a rate of 833 per 100,000 residents and an increase of 153 points from the early 2015 rate. 

Not all major cities – or even all cities with historically high violent crime rates – had spikes as dramatic as Chicago and Baltimore. Detroit’s violent crime rate decreased from 861 per 100,000 residents in 2015 to 803 in early 2016. Houston went from 449 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in early 2015 to 509 per 100,000 in early 2016, and Dallas went from 333 to 367. Metropolitan Las Vegas went from 435 violent crimes per 100,000 residents to 465. 

While these are just a handful of cities from across the country, their citizens saw significantly different increases in violent crime rates during the first six months of 2016. This initial data indicates that while overall crime levels may simply be leveling off after several years of decline, local policies and events are an important factor in how bad things got in specific cities in early 2016.

TRENDING NOW
Colorado: General Assembly Continues to Follow California's Lead; Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled For Hearing

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Colorado: General Assembly Continues to Follow California's Lead; Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled For Hearing

The Colorado General Assembly continues to follow California's lead when it comes to gun control, this year already pushing for an 11% Excise tax on firearms/ammunition and now pursuing a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic ...

Wisconsin: Legislation Updating the Definition of Muzzloader Signed by Governor Evers

Friday, March 15, 2024

Wisconsin: Legislation Updating the Definition of Muzzloader Signed by Governor Evers

Yesterday, the governor signed Wisconsin Act 116, formally Senate Bill 587, into law. This legislation establishes a new definition for “muzzleloaders” that would allow for the use of innovative technological advancements that could benefit sportsmen, ...

Maine: NRA Fires Back Against Gun Grabbers

Friday, March 15, 2024

Maine: NRA Fires Back Against Gun Grabbers

For months, anti-gun politicians and gun-grabbing groups have been running wild in Augusta, spreading misinformation about firearms in a desperate attempt to pass the most extreme gun-control in the country. The proposals carry the same theme, ...

Delaware: Senate Passes Maryland-Style Permit to Purchase Scheme

Friday, March 15, 2024

Delaware: Senate Passes Maryland-Style Permit to Purchase Scheme

Last night, the Delaware Senate passed Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) by a vote of 15 to 6. This extreme legislation will impose a Maryland-style “handgun qualified purchase card” and a handgun transfer ...

Virginia: More than a Dozen Anti-Gun Bills Sent to the Governor!

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Virginia: More than a Dozen Anti-Gun Bills Sent to the Governor!

The newly elected Virginia General Assembly has prioritized restricting law-abiding citizens' Second Amendment rights and has made good on that priority this session. This year, dozens of anti-gun bills have been considered in both chambers ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Introduced in General Assembly

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Introduced in General Assembly

Anti-Gun extremist State Reps. Tim Hernandez (D-04) and Elisabeth Epps (D-06) introduced House Bill 24-1292, a bill banning the manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, offering to sell, or transferring ownership of so called “assault weapons”. 

Washington Post’s Somewhat Pro-Gun Column Inadvertently Exposes Problem with Mandatory Storage Laws

News  

Monday, March 11, 2024

Washington Post’s Somewhat Pro-Gun Column Inadvertently Exposes Problem with Mandatory Storage Laws

We generally don’t expect to see the Washington Post say anything positive about firearms or law-abiding gun owners, although there are occasional Op-Eds from pro-Second Amendment lawmakers, unbiased researchers and Constitutional scholars, and the like.

Appropriations Bill Passes with Language Protecting Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

News  

Monday, March 11, 2024

Appropriations Bill Passes with Language Protecting Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

Last week, Congress approved a package of legislation to fund various government agencies that corrects a longstanding and shameful practice that had been depriving American veterans of their Second Amendment rights since 1998.

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes Committee and Hearings Postponed Due to Weather

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes Committee and Hearings Postponed Due to Weather

Today, HB 24-1348 which mandates how firearms must be stored in unattended vehicles, passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and is now eligible for a final vote on the House Floor. Please contact your lawmakers by using the ...

Utah: Governor Cox Signs Legislation Protecting Financial Privacy of Gun Owners!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Utah: Governor Cox Signs Legislation Protecting Financial Privacy of Gun Owners!

Today, Governor Spencer Cox signed HB 406, legislation that provides important financial privacy protections for gun owners when purchasing firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition. The NRA would like to thank Governor Cox for signing this ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.