It’s looking like 2017 was a year when crime rates dipped in the U.S. This is the preliminary news coming in from the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University’s School of Law. The reports indicate good news for those of us who live in areas where crime is down, as the trend is a reversal from the previous few years where crime rates were rising.
Crime Rates Fall
The overall crime rate in the 30 largest cities is estimated to decline from the previous couple years, with the final numbers from the FBI coming in later this Fall. The total rate is expected to fall by 2.7 percent compared to 2016, with violent crimes falling by 1.1 percent.
Murder rates saw the biggest decline with a decrease in 5.6 percent. Historically more violent cities such as Detroit and Chicago saw declines of 9.8 percent and 11.9 percent respectively, despite Chicago experiencing a jump in murder rates from 2015-16.
The good news is that violent crime is down significantly from the crime waves of the 1980s and 1990s when there were 758 murders per 100,000 people in 1991, which is double what the numbers were in 2016.
Miami-Dade Police Shootings Also Decline in 2017
Reports coming in from six law enforcement agencies in Miami-Dade show that there is also a downtrend in police shootings in the area for 2017. The numbers show that police shootings fell 17 percent from 2016, with only 15 shootings in 2017 compared to 18 in 2016 and down from 21 in 2015.
The reasoning for this has a lot to do with how police have been trained to have a better idea of when to shoot and when to not. With more intense scrutiny due to an overall national increase in shootings recently, police departments locally have implemented better training techniques that re-evaluate confrontational tactics. Additionally, law enforcement has focused on more interactions with residents, community activists, and clergy, which have calmed friction between police and area residents.
In any event that you are arrested and accused of a crime, you should contact a criminal defense attorney who can help you understand the charges brought against you. Your attorney will be able to assist you with navigating the complexities of the criminal justice system.
References:
Charles Rabin [email protected] (n.d.). There was a national uptick in police shootings, but in Miami, it was a different story. Retrieved January 03, 2018, from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article192533739.html
Lucas, R. (2017, December 20). 2017 U.S. Crime Rates Expected To Show Drop-Off. Retrieved January 03, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/2017/12/20/572277968/u-s-crime-rates-projected-to-drop-in-2017