WASHINGTON (AP) — Violent crimes unexpectedly jumped 18 percent last
year, the first rise in nearly 20 years, and property crimes rose for
first time in a decade. But academic experts said the new government
data fall short of signaling a reversal of the long decline in crime.
The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported Wednesday that the
increase in the number of violent crimes was the result of an upward
swing in simple assaults, which rose 22 percent, from 4 million in 2010
to 5 million last year. The incidence of rape, sexual assault and
robbery remained largely unchanged, as did serious violent crime
involving weapons or injury.
Property crimes were up 11 percent in 2011, from 15.4 million in 2010
to 17 million, according to the bureau’s annual national crime
victimization survey. Household burglaries rose 14 percent, from 3.2
million to 3.6 million. The number of thefts jumped by 10 percent, from
11.6 million to 12.8 million.
The statistics bureau said the percentage increases last year were so
large primarily because the 2011 crime totals were compared to
historically low levels of crime in 2010. Violent crime has fallen by 65
percent since 1993, from 16.8 million to 5.8 million last year.
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