November 19, 1995

"The modest decreases in crime are, in large part, a tribute to the men and women in law enforcement who daily risk their lives for the public's safety," said FBI Director Freeh. "The ominous increase in juvenile crime coupled with population trends portend future crime and violence at nearly unprecedented levels. Indeed, all Americans, especially those of us in law enforcement, must remain vigilant, or else the scourge of illegal drugs and violence directly attributable to drugs will dramatically worsen," Freeh said.

The statistics are based on a Crime Index of selected violent and property offenses reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program by over 16,000 law enforcement agencies, covering 96 percent of the Nation's population. Estimates are included for nonreporting areas. The 1994 data appear in the FBI's annual publication, Crime in the United States, released today.

Some highlights from the 1994 edition are:

• Crime Volume
• Crime Rate
• Violent Crime
• Property Crime
• Crime Clearances
• Arrests
• Murder
• Forcible Rape
• Robbery
• Aggravated Assault
• Burglary
• Larceny-theft
• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Arson
• Law Enforcement Employees

• In 1994, the Crime Index total of 14 million offenses was 1 percent lower than in 1993 and 3 percent below the 1990 total. A comparison with 1985 figures, however, showed a 13- percent increase over the last 10-year period.
• By region, the Southern States recorded 35 percent of all Crime Index offenses reported to law enforcement. The lowest volume was reported in the Northeastern States, accounting for 20 percent of the total. Among the regions, only the Midwest recorded an increase from 1993 to 1994, 1 percent.
• Property valued at $15.6 billion was stolen in connection with all Crime Index offenses.

• The 1994 Crime Index rate, 5,374 per 100,000 population, was 2 percent lower than in 1993. For 5- and 10-year trend increments, the 1994 rate was 8 percent lower than the 1990 rate, but 3 percent above that of 1985.
• Geographically, the total Crime Index rates ranged from 6,152 in the West to 4,344 in the Northeast. The rates declined in all regions except the Midwest where virtually no change was reported from 1993 to 1994.
• The Crime Index rate was 5,894 per 100,000 inhabitants in the Nation's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and 5,318 per 100,000 for cities outside MSAs. The lowest rate was registered by the collective rural counties at 2,034 per 100,000 inhabitants.

• Violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) reported to the country's law enforcement agencies during 1994 dropped below 1.9 million offenses for the first annual period since 1990. The rate of 716 violent crimes for every 100,000 inhabitants was the lowest since 1989.
• From 1993 to 1994, the violent crimes collectively decreased by 3 percent. The 1994 total was, however, 2 percent higher than the 1990 figure and 40 percent above the 1985 level.
• Data collected on weapons used in connection with murder, robbery, and aggravated assault showed that firearms were used in 31 percent of the offenses and personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in another 31 percent. The proportion of violent crimes committed with firearms has remained relatively constant in recent years.
• Aggravated assaults accounted for 60 percent and robberies comprised 33 percent of all violent crimes reported to law enforcement in 1994.

• The estimated property crime total in 1994 decreased 1 percent to 12.1 million offenses in 1994, the lowest total since 1987. The 1994 property crime rate was 4,658 offenses per 100,000 population, the lowest since 1984.
• Larceny-theft, which comprised 65 percent of property crimes reported, increased 1 percent from 1993 to 1994. All other property crimes declined, burglary by 4 percent, and motor vehicle theft by 2 percent.
• The value of property stolen in connection with property crimes was estimated at $15.1 billion for 1994, or $1,248 per offense reported.

• Law enforcement agencies nationwide recorded a 21-percent Crime Index clearance rate in 1994. The clearance rate for violent crimes was 45 percent; and for property crimes, 18 percent.
• Among the Crime Index offenses, the clearance rate was highest for murder, at 64 percent, and lowest for burglary, at 13 percent.
• Offenses involving only offenders under 18 years of age accounted for 22 percent of the overall Crime Index clearances, 14 percent of the violent crime clearances, and 25 percent of the property crime clearances.

• During the year, law enforcement agencies made an estimated 14.6 million arrests for all criminal infractions other than traffic violations. The highest arrest counts were for larceny-theft, 1.5 million; drug abuse violations and driving under the influence, each 1.4 million; and simple assaults, 1.2 million.
• Relating the number of arrests to the total U.S. population, the rate was 5,715 arrests per 100,000 population.
• The total number of arrests for all offenses except traffic violations increased 6 percent from 1993 to 1994. Adult arrests increased 5 percent, and those of juveniles were up 11 percent.
• Of all persons arrested in 1994, 45 percent were under the age of 25, 80 percent were male, and 67 percent were white.
• Larceny-theft was the offense resulting in the most arrests of persons under the age of 18, while adults were most often arrested for driving under the influence.
• A special study focusing on the decline in persons arrested for prostitution and commercialized vice from 1970 through 1993 is included in this year's publication.

• The murder count for 1994 totaled 23,305, the lowest since 1989. The murder rate was 9 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• Based on supplemental data received, 79 percent of the murder victims in 1994 were males, and 88 percent were persons 18 years of age or older. By race, 51 percent were black, and 47 percent were white.
• Data based on a total of 25,052 murder offenders showed 91 percent of the assailants were males, and 84 percent were 18 years of age or older. Fifty-six percent of the offenders were black, and 42 percent were white.
• Forty-seven percent of murder victims were related to (12 percent) or acquainted with (35 percent) their assailants. Among all female murder victims in 1994, 28 percent were slain by husbands or boyfriends.
• By circumstance, 28 percent of the murders resulted from arguments and 18 percent from felonious activities such as robbery, arson, etc.
• Firearms were the weapons used in approximately 7 of every 10 murders reported during 1994.
• A special study entitled "Child Homicide Victims, 1980-1994," included in the publication addresses the increasing numbers of children (12 and under) as victims of murder.

• The total of 102,096 forcible rapes reported to law enforcement during 1994 was the lowest total since 1989. The 1994 count was 4 percent lower than in 1993.
• In the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the victims of forcible rape are always female, and in 1994, an estimated 77 of every 100,000 females in the country were reported rape victims.

• In 1994, law enforcement recorded nearly 619,000 robberies, for a crime rate of 238 robberies per 100,000 population nationwide.
• Monetary loss attributed to property stolen in connection with this offense was estimated at $496 million. Bank robberies resulted in the highest average losses, $3,551 per offense; convenience store robberies the lowest, $387.
• Robberies on streets or highways accounted for more than half (55 percent) of the offenses in this category. All robbery types declined in 1994 as compared to 1993 totals.
• In 1994, 42 percent of all robberies were committed with firearms and 39 percent through the use of strong-arm tactics.

• After increasing steadily since 1983, aggravated assaults dropped 1 percent in 1994 to an estimated total of 1,119,950. Aggravated assaults comprised 60 percent of the violent crimes in 1994.
• There were 430 victims of aggravated assault for every 100,000 people nationwide in 1994.
• In 1994, 32 percent of the aggravated assaults were committed with blunt objects or other dangerous weapons. Personal weapons such as hands, fists, and feet were used in 26 percent, firearms in 24 percent; and knives or cutting instruments in the remainder.

• Over 2.7 million burglaries were reported to law enforcement agencies in 1994, with 2 of every 3 being residential in nature.
• Sixty-seven percent of all burglaries involved forcible entry. Over half (52 percent) of burglaries occurred during the daylight hours.
• The value of property stolen during burglaries was estimated at $3.6 billion in 1994.

• Larceny-theft, with an estimated total of nearly 7.9 million offenses, comprised 56 percent of the Crime Index total.
• The total dollar loss to victims nationwide was estimated at $4 billion during 1994. The average value of property stolen was $505 per incident.
• Thefts of motor vehicle parts, accessories, and contents made up the largest portion of reported larcenies, 37 percent.

• In 1994, over 1.5 million thefts of motor vehicles, or an average of 1 theft for every 130 registered motor vehicles, were reported.
• The estimated monetary loss due to these crimes was nearly $7.6 billion, for an average of $4,940 per vehicle.
• Seventy-nine percent of all motor vehicles reported stolen in 1994 were automobiles.

• A total of 102,139 arson offenses was reported in 1994.
• As in previous years, structures were the most frequent targets of arsonists in 1994, comprising 52 percent of the reported incidents. Residential property was involved in 60 percent of the structural arsons during the year.
• The average dollar loss was $9,761 per reported arson in 1994.
• Of the arsons cleared during the year, 48 percent involved only young people under the age of 18, a higher percentage of juvenile involvement than for any other Index offense.

• A total of 13,124 city, county, and state police agencies submitting Uniform Crime Reporting data reported employing 561,543 officers and 220,567 civilians in 1994.
• The average rate of 2.3 full-time officers for every 1,000 inhabitants across the country in 1994 remained unchanged from the 1993 figure.
• Geographically, the highest rate of officers to population was recorded in the Southern States where there were 2.6 officers per 1,000 inhabitants.