The number of violent crimes across the United States has dropped by 4.4 per cent in 2013 from the year 2012, according to data recently released by the FBI in its 2013 Uniform Crime Report.
John Roman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, told 24/7 Wall St. that this reduction is good news.
“A 4.4 per cent reduction in violent crime is astonishing. If you saw a similar increase in GDP, or a similar decrease in unemployment, it would be huge national news.”
So, the winner in this bad category is…
Detroit, Mich.
- Violent crimes per 100,000: 2,072
- Population: 699,889
- 2013 murders: 316
- Poverty rate: 40.7%
- Adults with high school degree: 78.6%
Detroit’s violent crime rate of 2,072 per 100,000 residents is the highest in the nation. This is despite the fact that the violent crime rate fell from 2,123 incidents per 100,000 people in 2012.
Like many other dangerous cities, Detroit residents are poor. A typical household earned less than $25,000 in 2013, and nearly 41 per cent of people lived in poverty.
The region’s history of high crime rates may have encouraged residents over the years to take protection into their own hands. Like in several other Michigan counties, residents of Wayne County, are more likely to have gun permits than residents in the vast majority of populous areas. The number of applications for permits has risen dramatically in recent years.
