Essay Sample on Crime and Violence Trends

Crime Overview

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (2014) statistics indicate a drop in violent crime by 6.9 percent as compared to 2010. As per the bar graph, the number of offenses stood at slightly below 1.175 million in 2014, a substantial decline from 2010 when the value was above 1.25 million. That is indicative of an over 75,000 drop in the five-year period. The portrayal of such a substantial decrease in the crime rate was a massive surprise because actual crime on the ground is on the rise. Davey & Smith (2015), present a contrasting report that shows over 35 cities experienced an increase in violent crime in the one-year period, with homicide figures indicating a 44 percent increase in Washington, DC and a staggering 76 percent rise in Milwaukee.

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Overall Impression

Beckett (2018) poses that crime and violence trends are usually complex as national statistics hardly reflect the actual picture on the ground. According to Gramlich (2018), there has been a sharp decline in levels of violent crime in the United States since the 1990s. However, Diaz (2018) alludes to a survey by the Department of Justice which indicates that 58 percent of violent victimizations are unreported. James (2015) also highlights the spate of high-profile deaths that have put the police service on the spot over the need for reforms in law enforcement. The contradicting facts point to a loophole in the crime statistics as presented by the FBI.

Kansas City is, for instance, synonymous with alarming reports about homicides and shootings. That residents, church leaders, and activists continuously get involved in initiatives aimed at rooting out the levels of crime is also a testament to an area reeling from the aftermath (Townsend, 2018). Statistics on City-data.com (2018) further indicate that 1,692 sex offenders call Kansas City home, which puts the ratio of residents to sex offenders at 1 to 284. Recent reports, however, suggest that the past two decades have seen a sharp decline in crime rate in Kansas (Ryan & Cummings, 2017). The statistics in table 6 put actual reporting of rape cases at 1,117 and an estimated total of 1,124, a figure below the registered number of offenders.

Trends in Crime

Overall, aggravated assaults topped the list of violent crimes in 2014, accounting for 63.6 percent, compared to robbery and rape which accounted for 28 and 7.2 percent respectively. The figures in table 4 indicate that property crime and larceny-theft top the list at 8.2 million and 5.8 million respectively. The South leads in property crime at 3.6 million, violent crime at 505,389 as well as murder and non-negligent manslaughter at 6, 552. The West leads in motor vehicle theft at 255,907, followed closely by the South at 251,876. The statistics point to the South being the most insecure area followed closely by the West, while the Northeast remains the safest. Per state, Vermont in the Northeast registered the lowest numbers for most crimes, while South Atlantic accounts for the highest number of violent crimes in all the States at 263,801. There were more vehicles stolen in the Pacific (197,666) compared to only 244 in Vermont.

Possible Reforms

The conflicting reports and statistics between the FBI, actual occurrences and local data show inconsistencies in the data collection, which creates the need for more frequent and consistent crime data (James, 2015). This will display a clear guideline on whether certain crimes like homicide are localized or national, and if it is a stand-alone phenomenon or tied to the increase in violent crime.

References

City-data.com. (2018). Crime in Kansas City, Missouri (MO): Murders, Rapes, Robberies,

Assaults, Burglaries, Thefts, Auto thefts, Arson, Law Enforcement Employees, Police Officers, Crime map. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Kansas-City-Missouri.html

Davey M., & Smith M. (2015). Murder Rates Rising Sharply in Many U.S. Cities.

New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/us/murder-rates-rising-sharply-in-many-us-cities.html

Diaz, A. (2018). More than half of Violent Crimes in the U.S. Never Reported to Police.

Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/09/17/more-than-half-violent-crimes-in-u-s-never-reported-to-police.html

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2014). 2014 Crime in the United States. Retrieved from

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/violent-crime

Gramlich, J. (2018). 5 facts about crime in the U.S. | Pew Research Center. Retrieved from

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/30/5-facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

James, N. (2015). Is Violent Crime in the United States Increasing? Congressional Research

Service, pp 2. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44259.pdf

Ryan, K., & Cummings, I. (2017). Crime Statistics Reveal Kansas City's Disturbing

Homicide Trend. The Kansas City Star. Retrieved from https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article159204444.html

Townsend, R. (2018). New Diverse Group Aims to Tackle Crime in Kansas City. Retrieved

from https://fox4kc.com/2018/08/16/new-diverse-group-aims-to-tackle-crime-in-kansas-city/