FBI Releases 2015 Crime Statistics

After two years of decline, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased 3.9 percent in 2015 when compared with 2014 data, according to FBI figures released today. Property crimes dropped 2.6 percent, marking the 13th straight year the collective estimates for these offenses declined.

The 2015 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 372.6 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the property crime rate was 2,487.0 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate rose 3.1 percent compared with the 2014 rate, and the property crime rate declined 3.4 percent.

These and additional data are presented in the 2015 edition of the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States. This publication, which is a statistical compilation of offense, arrest, and police employee data reported by law enforcement agencies voluntarily participating in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, also includes limited federal crime reporting, human trafficking, and cargo theft data.

The UCR Program collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies regarding the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, as well as the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. (Although the FBI classifies arson as a property crime, it does not estimate arson data because of variations in the level of participation by the reporting agencies. Consequently, arson data are not included in the property crime estimate.) The program also collects arrest data for the offenses listed above plus 20 offenses that include all other crimes except traffic violations.

Prior to 2013, the FBI’s UCR Program collected rape data in the Summary Reporting System under the category “forcible rape.” In 2013, the program removed the term “forcible” from the title and revised the definition. The legacy UCR definition of rape is “The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.” The revised UCR definition of rape is “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

Of the 18,439 city, county, university and college, state, tribal, and federal agencies eligible to participate in the UCR Program, 16,643 submitted data in 2015. A high-level summary of the statistics submitted, as well as estimates for those agencies that did not report, follows:

• In 2015, there were an estimated 1,197,704 violent crimes. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter increased 10.8 percent when compared with estimates from 2014.
• Rape and aggravated assault increased 6.3 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, while robbery increased 1.4 percent.
• Nationwide, there were an estimated 7,993,631 property crimes. The estimated numbers for two of the three property crimes show declines when compared with the previous year’s estimates. Burglaries dropped 7.8 percent, and larceny-thefts declined 1.8 percent, but motor vehicle thefts rose 3.1 percent.
• Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) suffered losses estimated at $14.3 billion in 2015.
• The FBI estimated that law enforcement agencies nationwide made 10.8 million arrests, excluding traffic violations, in 2015.
• The arrest rate for violent crime was 157.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the arrest rate for property crime was 458.9 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and non-negligent manslaughter was 3.5 per 100,000 inhabitants; rape (aggregate total of revised and legacy), 7.1; robbery, 29.7; and aggravated assault, 117.0 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• By property crime offense, the arrest rate for burglary was 67.5 per 100,000 inhabitants; larceny-theft, 364.5; and motor vehicle theft, 24.2. The arrest rate for arson was 2.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• In 2015, there were 13,160 law enforcement agencies that reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that, as of October 31, 2015, they collectively employed 635,781 sworn officers and 277,380 civilians, a rate of 3.3 employees per 1,000 inhabitants.

 

Caution Against Ranking

Each year when Crime in the United States is published, some entities use the figures to compile rankings of cities and counties. These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state, tribal area, or region. Consequently, they lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents. Valid assessments are possible only with careful study and analysis of the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction. The data user is, therefore, cautioned against comparing statistical data of individual reporting units from cities, metropolitan areas, states, or colleges or universities solely on the basis of their population coverage or student enrollment.

New Microchip-Enabled Credit Cards May Still Be Vulnerable to Exploitation by Fraudsters

By October 2015, many U.S. banks will have replaced millions of traditional credit cards, which rely on data stored on magnetic strips, with new credit cards containing a microchip known as an EMV chip. While EMV cards offer enhanced security, the FBI is warning law enforcement, merchants, and the general public that these cards can still be targeted by fraudsters.

What is an EMV credit card?

The small gold chip found in many credit cards is most often referred to as an EMV chip. Cards containing this chip are known as EMV cards, as well as “chip-and-signature,” “chip-and-pin,” or “smart” cards. The name “EMV” refers to the three originators of chip-enabled cards: Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. EMV chips are now the global standard for credit card security. Unlike traditional credit cards that store data on a magnetic strip, EMV cards store card data in tiny integrated circuits and are authenticated when the cardholder inputs a PIN into a PoS terminal.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

With traditional credit cards, the magnetic strip on the back of the card contains data and personal information about the cardholder. This information is used to authenticate the card at the point of sale (PoS), before the purchase is authorized. While most EMV cards still retain the traditional magnetic strip and the cardholder’s signature on the back of the card, they offer the additional enhancement of the microchip embedded into the card. This allows merchants to verify the card’s authenticity by the cardholder’s personal identification number (PIN), which is known only to the cardholder and the issuing financial institution. In addition, EMV cards transmit transaction data between the merchant and the issuing bank with a special code that is unique to each individual transaction. This provides the cardholder greater security and makes the EMV card less vulnerable to hacking while the data is transmitted from the PoS to the issuing bank.

THREAT

Although EMV cards will provide greater security than traditional magnetic strip cards, they are still vulnerable to fraud. EMV cards can be counterfeited using stolen card data obtained from the black market. Additionally, the data on the magnetic strip of an EMV card can still be stolen if the PoS terminal is infected with data-capturing malware. Further, the EMV chip will likely not stop stolen or counterfeit credit cards from being used for online or telephone purchases where the card is not physically seen by the merchant and where the EMV chip is not used to transmit transaction data.

DEFENSE

Consumers should closely safeguard the security of their EMV cards. This includes being vigilant in handling, signing, and activating a card as soon as it arrives in the mail, reviewing credit card statements for irregularities, and promptly reporting lost or stolen credit cards to the issuing bank. When using the EMV card at a PoS terminal, consumers should use the PIN, instead of a signature, to verify the transaction. This fully utilizes the security features built within the EMV card. Consumers should also shield the keypad from bystanders when entering their card PIN.

Merchants are encouraged to require consumers to enter their PIN for each transaction, in order to verify their identity. If a consumer uses a signature, merchants should ask to also see a government-issued photo identification card to verify the cardholder’s identity.

The FBI encourages merchants to handle the EMV card and its data with the same security precautions they use for standard credit cards. Merchants handling sales over the telephone or via the Internet are encouraged to adopt additional security measures to ensure the authenticity of cards used for transactions. At a minimum, merchants should use secure servers and payment links for all Internet transactions with credit cards, and information should be encrypted, if possible, to avert hackers from compromising card information provided by consumers. Credit card information taken over the telephone should be encrypted, and any written copies of the card information should be securely disposed.

If you believe you have been a victim of credit card fraud, reach out to your local law enforcement or FBI field office, and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.IC3.gov

Mahalo to Jerry Dolak for providing this valuable information.