Have you ever wondered what are the most common crimes in the United States? According to statistics obtained from the FBI, a property crime was reported about every three seconds in the U.S., and a violent crime was reported about every 22 seconds. Those are sobering statistics. Contrary to what most people think, property crimes are by far the most reported crimes in the United States, not violent crimes; property crimes are about ten times more prevalent than violent crimes. Property crimes reported annually total more than ten million, while violent crimes hover somewhere between 1 and 1 1/2 million each year.
1. Larceny / Theft
Larceny-theft hits the top of the crime list, far outweighing any other crime. The numbers of larceny-theft in this country are staggering – more than 7 million reported each year, making up almost sixty percent of all reported crimes.
Featured Schools
2. Burglary
The next most prevalent crime is burglary, another property crime. Burglary reports total around 2 million each year, making up about 18 percent of all crimes reported.
3. Motor Vehicle Theft
Thieves do a thriving business in stolen cars, apparently – there are more than a million stolen cars in the U.S. every year. Car theft accounts for more than ten percent of all reported crimes annually in the United States.
4. Aggravated Assault
Violent crime comes into the top 5 most common crimes in the United States at number four on the list. According to Princeton.edu, aggravated assault is defined as an attack with intent to cause grave injury to another, and can involve a weapon. With or without a weapon, aggravated assault accounts for about 7 percent of all reported crimes.
5. Robbery
The robbery comes in at number five on the top five most common crimes in the United States. Robbery is not simple theft – it is a violent crime, and theft performed directly on a person or place. If you are ever mugged, that is robbery. A stick-up of a grocery or liquor store clerk is robbery. There are close to half a million robberies each year in the United States, and they account for about 3 percent of all crimes.
Related:
JOBS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OR AS A FEDERAL AGENT
HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR A CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE?
