WASHINGTON – The FBI released its 2005 preliminary annual uniform crime report June 12, and figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the nation reported an increase of 2.5 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention in 2005 when compared to figures reported for 2004.

The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of murders last year increased 4.8 percent, while forcible rapes decreased 1.9 percent. Robbery was up 4.5 percent compared to 2004, and aggravated assaults climbed 1.9 percent. Last year’s increase in violent crimes reverses the downward trend the nation had been experiencing from 2001 to 2004.

The number of property crimes in the United States from January to December of 2005 decreased 1.6 percent when compared to data from the same time period in 2004. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2005 indicate that arson decreased 2.2 percent when compared to 2004 figures. The number of burglaries increased by 0.6 percent, while the number of larcenies/thefts dropped by 2.5 percent.

The Midwest experienced the biggest jump in violent crimes (5.8 percent), and the Northeast had the largest decrease in property crimes (3.1 percent).

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