Justice Department: Lowest violent crime rate in 25 years

Jan 1, 1999 12:00 PM, AC&SSI Staff

Statistics from the National Crime Victimization Survey reveal an almost 7 percent drop in violent crime in the United States in 1997, the Justice Department announced Dec. 27. An estimated 39 violent crimes per 1,000 U.S. residents 12 years or older occurred in 1997, the lowest level since the survey was started 25 years ago. Violent crime, which rose dramatically in the 1980s, is down 21 percent since 1993, according to the report.Among types of violent crime, robbery fell the most, decreasing 17 percent compared to 1996. The murder rate fell 8 percent and is down 28 percent compared to 1993.

Property crime - which includes burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft - also hit its lowest level since the survey began. Last year, there were an estimated 248 attempted or completed property crimes per 1,000 U.S. households, down from 266 the previous year and 554 in 1973.The annual survey, conducted by the Census Bureau, asks 80,000 people aged 12 and older whether they have been victims of a crime in the past year. The survey estimates that only 37 percent of all crimes and 44 percent of violent crimes were reported to police.The survey results are similar to those of the other major crime gauge, the FBI Uniform Crime Report, which measures crimes reported to police. That report found a 7 percent drop in serious crime, which includes violent and property crime.

Retail sectorSuch steep declines in criminal activity were not reflected in the 1998 National Retail Security Survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Florida and released in November. Inventory shrinkage - losses due to employee theft, shoplifting, administrative error and vendor fraud - was 1.72 percent of 1997 retail sales, compared to 1.77 percent in 1996.Employee theft, which accounted for 42.7 percent of total losses, was at its highest level in eight years, according to Dr. Richard C. Hollinger, director of the University of Florida's Security Research Project, which conducts the survey.

Shoplifting was responsible for 34.4 percent of shrinkage, with each incident costing the retailer $212.68 on average. The employee theft average is substantially higher - $1,058.20 per incident.For a free executive summary of the 1998 National Retail Security Survey, contact survey sponsor Sensormatic Electronics Corp. at 800-368-7262.

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