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US Violent Crime Rate Falls for 2nd Year in a Row

Masood Farivar

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. violent crime rate fell for the second year in a
   row in 2018, largely extending a decades-long decline, the FBI said in
   its annual crime report released on Monday.

   There were an estimated 369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in
   2018, a decline of 3.9 percent from 2017 and a decline of nearly 15
   percent from 2009, according to the report.

   The murder rate also fell for the second consecutive year, decreasing
   by 6.8 percent to nearly 5 murders per 100,000 people. The rate is
   nearly half the 1991 high of almost 10 murders per 100,000 residents.

   Large cities saw a marked decline in murder. In cities with a
   population of more than 1 million people such as Chicago, the overall
   murder rate fell by 8.5 percent. In Chicago, it tumbled by 14 percent.

   Baltimore, another city that has experienced high murder rates in
   recent years, saw the murder rate decrease by 9 percent.

   Among other violent crimes, robbery saw the largest decline, decreasing
   by 38,000 incidents. The rate of rape crimes, however, rose by 2.1
   percent likely due to an increase in reporting.

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