Number Crunchers
PRECISION JOURNALISM®
  
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NOTES ON THIS PAGE
1996 CRIME STATISTICS MAIN PAGE 
THUNDER & LIGHTNING NEWS SERVICE HOME PAGE 
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CRIME IN THE NINETIES
BIG CITY CRIME RATES
ALPHABETICAL LIST
1990 – 1996
 
City & State
Rank
Percent Change in FBI Crime Index,
1990–1996
ABILENE, TX
149
-3.1%
AKRON, OH
120
-8.6%
ALBANY, NY
189
18.1%
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
183
12.3%
ALEXANDRIA, VA
124
-6.9%
ALLENTOWN, PA
185
12.9%
AMARILLO, TX
134
-5.3%
AMHERST TOWN, NY
40
-26.5%
ANAHEIM, CA
35
-28.6%
ANCHORAGE, AK
179
10.5%
ANN ARBOR, MI
1
-49.2%
ARLINGTON, TX
85
-16.3%
ATLANTA, GA
108
-11.2%
AURORA, CO
52
-24.1%
AUSTIN, TX
21
-32.8%
BAKERSFIELD, CA
67
-19.4%
BALTIMORE, MD
186
13.3%
BATON ROUGE, LA
190
18.8%
BEAUMONT, TX
48
-24.8%
BERKELEY, CA
78
-17.3%
BIRMINGHAM, AL
139
-4.5%
BOISE, ID
164
2.0%
BOSTON, MA
24
-31.7%
BRIDGEPORT, CT
10
-39.9%
BROWNSVILLE, TX
118
-9.3%
BUFFALO, NY
140
-4.4%
BURBANK, CA
127
-6.2%
CAMBRIDGE, MA
20
-32.9%
CHANDLER, AZ
93
-14.8%
CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG, NC
53
-23.3%
CHATTANOOGA, TN
39
-26.6%
CHESAPEAKE, VA
137
-4.9%
CHULA VISTA, CA
58
-21.4%
CINCINNATI, OH
161
0.8%
CLEVELAND, OH
79
-17.3%
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
80
-17.1%
COLUMBIA, SC
113
-10.5%
COLUMBUS, GA
131
-5.7%
COLUMBUS, OH
144
-3.7%
CONCORD, CA
165
2.4%
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
168
3.1%
DALLAS, TX
13
-39.0%
DAYTON, OH
100
-13.5%
DENVER, CO
96
-14.3%
DES MOINES, IA
86
-15.4%
DETROIT, MI
154
-1.6%
DOWNEY, CA
123
-7.0%
DURHAM, NC
193
22.3%
EL MONTE, CA
31
-30.1%
EL PASO, TX
19
-33.4%
ELIZABETH, NJ
89
-15.1%
ERIE, PA
122
-7.4%
ESCONDIDO, CA
26
-31.4%
EUGENE, OR
194
24.0%
EVANSVILLE, IN
116
-9.9%
FLINT, MI
95
-14.6%
FONTANA, CA
17
-36.5%
FORT COLLINS, CO
145
-3.7%
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
106
-11.4%
FORT WAYNE, IN
68
-19.1%
FORT WORTH, TX
5
-44.8%
FREMONT, CA
187
13.4%
FRESNO, CA
162
1.0%
FULLERTON, CA
14
-38.8%
GARDEN GROVE, CA
9
-40.6%
GARLAND, TX
41
-26.2%
GARY, IN
157
-0.6%
GLENDALE, AZ
66
-19.9%
GLENDALE, CA
62
-21.1%
GRAND PRAIRIE, TX
25
-31.6%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
102
-12.5%
GREEN BAY, WI
125
-6.7%
GREENSBORO, NC
169
3.3%
HAMPTON, VA
82
-16.8%
HARTFORD, CT
29
-31.1%
HAYWARD, CA
172
4.7%
HIALEAH, FL
126
-6.3%
HOLLYWOOD, FL
121
-7.8%
HONOLULU, HI
182
12.1%
HOUSTON, TX
23
-32.6%
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
47
-25.0%
HUNTSVILLE, AL
142
-3.8%
INDEPENDENCE, MO
192
20.8%
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
197
49.2%
INGLEWOOD, CA
34
-29.4%
IRVINE, CA
32
-29.5%
IRVING, TX
15
-37.8%
JACKSON, MS
136
-5.1%
JACKSONVILLE, FL
76
-17.6%
JERSEY CITY, NJ
64
-20.3%
KANSAS CITY, MO
115
-10.0%
KNOXVILLE, TN
55
-22.1%
LAFAYETTE, LA
153
-2.3%
LAKEWOOD, CO
97
-14.1%
LANCASTER, CA
130
-5.9%
LANSING, MI
151
-2.9%
LAREDO, TX
70
-19.0%
LAS VEGAS, NV
141
-3.9%
LEXINGTON, KY
105
-11.8%
LINCOLN, NB
159
-0.5%
LITTLE ROCK, AR
54
-22.7%
LIVONIA, MI
57
-21.9%
LONG BEACH, CA
16
-37.5%
LOS ANGELES, CA
38
-27.1%
LOUISVILLE, KY
191
19.3%
LUBBOCK, TX
147
-3.2%
MACON, GA
180
11.4%
MADISON, WI
30
-30.2%
MEMPHIS, TN
184
12.7%
MESA, AZ
173
6.6%
MESQUITE, TX
2
-47.8%
MIAMI, FL
37
-27.7%
MIDLAND, TX
65
-20.2%
MILWAUKEE, WI
92
-14.9%
MOBILE, AL
77
-17.4%
MODESTO, CA
174
8.7%
MONTGOMERY, AL
166
2.7%
MORENO VALLEY, CA
104
-11.8%
NASHVILLE, TN
196
42.4%
NEW HAVEN, CT
56
-21.9%
NEW ORLEANS, LA
110
-11.2%
NEW YORK, NY
4
-46.2%
NEWARK, NJ
69
-19.1%
NEWPORT NEWS, VA
112
-10.6%
NORFOLK, VA
46
-25.2%
NORWALK, CA
98
-13.7%
OAKLAND, CA
146
-3.5%
OCEANSIDE, CA
28
-31.1%
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
188
14.4%
OMAHA, NB
176
9.0%
ONTARIO, CA
71
-18.5%
ORANGE, CA
3
-47.6%
ORLANDO, FL
119
-8.7%
OXNARD, CA
114
-10.2%
PASADENA, CA
44
-25.6%
PASADENA, TX
12
-39.5%
PATERSON, NJ
22
-32.7%
PHILADELPHIA, PA
143
-3.8%
PHOENIX, AZ
107
-11.3%
PITTSBURGH, PA
11
-39.7%
PLANO, TX
128
-6.0%
POMONA, CA
42
-25.9%
PORTLAND, OR
148
-3.1%
PORTSMOUTH, VA
99
-13.6%
PROVIDENCE, RI
50
-24.4%
PUEBLO, CO
109
-11.2%
RALEIGH, NC
171
4.6%
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA
135
-5.1%
RENO, NV
60
-21.2%
RICHMOND, VA
91
-15.0%
RIVERSIDE, CA
36
-28.3%
ROCHESTER, NY
74
-18.1%
SACRAMENTO, CA
152
-2.4%
SALEM, OR
181
11.5%
SALINAS, CA
84
-16.4%
SALT LAKE CITY, UT
155
-1.1%
SAN ANTONIO, TX
27
-31.2%
SAN DIEGO, CA
6
-42.4%
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
59
-21.4%
SAN JOSE, CA
88
-15.2%
SANTA ANA, CA
8
-41.0%
SANTA CLARITA, CA
43
-25.7%
SANTA ROSA, CA
158
-0.6%
SAVANNAH, GA
129
-6.0%
SCOTTSDALE, AZ
156
-1.1%
SEATTLE, WA
72
-18.2%
SHREVEPORT, LA
178
10.4%
SIMI VALLEY, CA
33
-29.5%
SIOUX FALLS, SD
175
8.8%
SPOKANE, WA
133
-5.5%
SPRINGFIELD, MO
87
-15.3%
ST. LOUIS, MO
167
3.1%
ST. PAUL, MN
138
-4.8%
ST. PETERSBURG, FL
61
-21.2%
STAMFORD, CT
75
-17.7%
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI
51
-24.1%
STOCKTON, CA
45
-25.3%
SUNNYVALE, CA
94
-14.7%
SYRACUSE, NY
160
-0.5%
TACOMA, WA
117
-9.8%
TAMPA, FL
90
-15.0%
TEMPE, AZ
132
-5.6%
TOLEDO, OH
103
-11.9%
TOPEKA, KS
195
33.1%
TORRANCE, CA
101
-13.4%
TUCSON, AZ
83
-16.5%
TULSA, OK
49
-24.4%
VALLEJO, CA
163
1.9%
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
73
-18.1%
WACO, TX
150
-3.1%
WASHINGTON, DC
177
10.3%
WATERBURY, CT
81
-16.8%
WEST COVINA, CA
18
-36.0%
WICHITA FALLS, TX
7
-41.2%
WICHITA, KS
111
-10.9%
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
170
3.6%
YONKERS, NY
63
-21.0%
 
NOTES

A number of cities with populations greater than 100,000 are not included on this list..  These cities either do not participate in the FBI's voluntary Uniform Crime Reporting problem, or have not reported crimes completely for the years in question. 


Cities not included in this report:

 
City & State
AURORA, IL
BABYLON TOWN, NY
BROOKHAVEN, NY
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA
CHICAGO, IL
CLEARWATER, FL
HENDERSON, NV
HUNTINGTON, NY
ISLIP, NY
KANSAS CITY, KS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
NAPERVILLE, IL
OVERLAND PARK, KS
PALMDALE, CA
PEORIA, IL
ROCKFORD, IL
SAN BERNARDINO, CA
SOUTH BEND, IN
SPRINGFIELD, IL
SPRINGFIELD, MA
TALLAHASSEE, FL
THOUSAND OAKS, CA
WARREN, MI
WORCESTER, MA
 
METHODOLOGY

Statistics were drawn from FBI Uniform Crime Reports, specifically 9-track computer tape versions of the FBI's Return A Master for 1990, 1992, and 1995; and from the 1996 Uniform Crime Reports Preliminary Annual Report (June 1, 1997), and in additions made to the Preliminary Annual Report through June 5, 1997.

Population statistics are estimates from the U. S. Census Bureau, as provided to the FBI and included on Return-A master.  In the case of the 1996 Preliminary Annual Report, populations are 1996 estimates provided to the FBI by the U. S. Census Bureau.

Calculations and rankings were performed by Number Crunchers Precision Journalism®.
 

Over that period of time, some law-enforcement agencies have substantially changed jurisdictions, which means that figures and rates for successive years may not be comparable.


THE INDEX

There are seven crimes included in the FBI's Crime Index.  Four are crimes against persons, also known as violent crimes.  Three are crimes against property.  A fourth category of property crime – arson – was added to the FBI Crime Index in the late 1970s.  However, not all agencies report the category.  Thus, seven crimes are included in these statistics.  They are:
 
 

VIOLENT CRIME
PROPERTY CRIME
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter Burglary
Forcible Rape Larceny-Theft
Robbery Motor Vehicle Theft
Aggravated Assault  
 
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The FBI Crime Index has several substantial strengths and weaknesses as a measure of crime.  Primary among its strengths is how widespread it is.  The overwhelming majority of law-enforcement agencies across the country voluntarily contribute data to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program each year.

Among the weaknesses is that the FBI Crime Index counts only those incidents in selected categories known to police.  Crimes – such as rape, for instance – in categories where reporting is known to be less than complete may not be accurately represented.  Also, crimes within certain communities which may not cooperate fully with and trust their law-enforcement agencies may be skewed.