13.1 Trends in crime rates and law enforcement policies
7 min read•july 31, 2024
Crime rates have been declining in the US since the 1990s, with violent and property crimes showing significant drops. This trend, observed in many Western countries, is attributed to factors like demographic changes, improved security, and shifts in drug markets.
Law enforcement strategies have evolved, embracing community-oriented policing, data-driven approaches, and technological advancements. These methods aim to increase effectiveness while addressing new challenges like cybercrime, the opioid epidemic, and human trafficking.
Crime Trends Across Categories
Measurement and Data Sources
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Crime rates measured using official crime statistics, victimization surveys, and self-report studies
Each method has strengths and limitations in accurately representing crime trends
Official statistics may underreport certain crimes (domestic violence)
Victimization surveys capture unreported crimes but rely on victim memory
Self-report studies provide insights into offender behavior but may be biased
Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and serve as primary U.S. crime data sources
UCR collects data from law enforcement agencies on reported crimes
NCVS conducts household surveys to capture both reported and unreported victimizations
Combining both sources provides a more comprehensive picture of crime trends
Long-term Trends and International Comparisons
Violent crime and property crime rates in the U.S. show overall declines since early 1990s
Homicide rates decreased from 9.8 per 100,000 in 1991 to 5.0 per 100,000 in 2019
Property crime rates fell by over 50% between 1993 and 2019
"Crime drop" phenomenon observed in many Western countries since 1990s
Attributed to factors such as demographic changes (aging population)