Violent crime — a broad category of offenses that includes rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide — is on the rise in the United States. According to FBI data, there were a total of 1.3 million violent offenses reported in 2020, or 388 for every 100,000 people — a 5% increase from 2019.
The uptick was led by a spike in homicide. The number of murders surged by nearly 30%, from 16,669 in 2019 to 21,570 in 2020, the largest year-over-year increase on record. The spike in murders came during a year of national turmoil marked by coronavirus lockdowns, mass protests against police misconduct, and a sharp rise in gun sales. These are the states buying the most guns.
Despite the increase, the national violent crime rate remains well below the highs reported in the 1990s. Still, crime is ultimately a local phenomenon, and in some parts of the country, violence is much more common than in others.
Alabama’s violent crime rate of 454 incidents for every 100,000 people is higher than that of most states. Though the majority of the 22,322 violent crimes committed in the state in 2020 — 75.7% — were aggravated assaults, Alabama’s murder rate was especially high. There were 471 murders in the state in 2020, or 9.6 for every 100,000 people, a higher murder rate than in all but six other states.
In a break from the broader national trend, violence dipped substantially in Alabama in 2020. The overall violent crime rate in the state fell by 11.2% in 2020.
All crime data used in this story is from the FBI and is for the year 2020.
Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
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