FBI: Crime Down in First Half of 2008

Jan. 12, 2009— -- For the second year in a row, crime dipped across the country during the first six months of the year, according to FBI 2008 crime statistics released this morning.

The FBI's preliminary statistics show that from January to June 2008, violent crime fell 3.5 percent, with some categories of crime seeing significant overall dips as well. Murder declined 4.4 percent, assaults decreased 4.1 percent, rape dropped 3.3 percent and robberies fell 2.2 percent, compared with the same period in 2007.

Law enforcement agencies across the country submit their statistics to the FBI as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program; the Bureau then standardizes and analyzes the data before releasing the nationwide findings.

In addition to drops in violent crime, property crimes fell 2.5 percent from January to June 2008.

The Midwest region saw the biggest drop in violent crime, with a 6 percent overall drop. Cities in that region with populations between 250,000 and 499,999 inhabitants saw the greatest decline in violent crime, with the rate dropping 5.2 percent. All three other areas of the country saw drops as well, from 5 percent in the West, to 2.9 percent in the Northeast and 1.5 percent in the South.

The full statistics for 2008 will be released this fall.

Even with the overall decrease, however, there were some notable spikes in crime.

Northeastern cities saw a slight bump -- 0.6 percent -- in reported rapes, while cities nationwide with populations greater than 1 million people saw a 3.4 percent increase in forcible rapes.