30 Percent Of Urban Households Victimized By Crime In 2021

Highlights-2021

There is a big increase in the criminal victimization of urban households in 2021, 30 percent compared to 22 percent in 2020.

Seven percent of urban residents were violently victimized compared to 3% of U.S. adults. The majority of Americans live in urban areas.

If 30 percent of any group was adversely impacted by COVID or any other condition, it would be headline news.

The collective data (urban crime victimization-computer crime) indicates a growing crime problem for at least half of American households.

Author

Leonard Adam Sipes, Jr.

Retired federal senior spokesperson. Thirty-five years of directing award-winning public relations for national and state criminal justice agencies. Interviewed multiple times by every national news outlet. Former Senior Specialist for Crime Prevention for the Department of Justice’s clearinghouse. Former Director of Information Services, National Crime Prevention Council. Former Adjunct Associate Professor of criminology and public affairs-University of Maryland, University College. Former advisor to presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. Former advisor to the “McGruff-Take a Bite Out of Crime” national media campaign. Certificate of Advanced Study-Johns Hopkins University. Former police officer. Aspiring drummer.

Author of ”Success With The Media: Everything You Need To Survive Reporters and Your Organization” available at Amazon and additional booksellers.

Article

Gallup states that thirty percent of urban residents (up from 22 percent) say that a member of their household was the victim of a crime.

If a third of residents of big or small cities were victimized by crime, it partially explains record numbers regarding fear of crime (forthcoming article). Firearm and security sales are skyrocketing. People are moving out of cities.

Where I live in the Appalachian mountains (reasonably close to D.C., Baltimore and Pittsburg) people fleeing urban areas are waiting in line for homes. It wasn’t that way before the recent riots and increase in violence.

Violent crime rates are also higher in urban areas. Seven percent of urban residents were violently victimized.

A Comprehensive Overview Of Violent Crime Rates

A comprehensive overview of violent crime rates is available at US Crime Rates.

The data include the latest reports from the FBI and the National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the US Department of Justice.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) states that the violent victimization rate dropped 22 percent in 2020, Criminal Victimization 2020. This is the largest decrease in violence ever reported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

While the Bureau of Justice Statistics (national survey) reports record decreases in violence in 2020, the FBI (crimes reported to law enforcement) reported record increases in homicides. Overall violence increased.

With the report below, Gallup (national survey) reports that for urban residents, overall crime increased significantly in 2021. There was a considerable increase in burglary and computer crime. Fear of crime also increased (separate report).

Thirty Percent Of Urban Residents Victimized-Gallup (rearranged quotes)

Americans who say they live in a “big” or a “small” city are significantly more likely today than in 2020 to indicate their household was victimized by crime.

Thirty percent of city residents (emphasis added) up from 22% in 2020, say a member of their household was the victim of one or more of the seven crimes measured by Gallup.

According to Gallup’s measure, violent crime rates (emphasis added) are also higher in urban areas, with 7% of city residents versus 4% of suburban and rural residents saying a member of their household was the victim of a violent crime in the past 12 months. Those figures essentially match the historical averages of 6% among city residents, 4% among suburban and 3% among rural residents.

Background-Gallup (rearranged quotes)

Gallup’s annual Crime survey, conducted Oct. 1-19, asks U.S. adults to say whether they or another member of their household has been the victim of each of seven different crimes. These include burglary, property theft, car theft, vandalism, aggravated robbery, physical assault and sexual assault.

Of these, Americans are most likely to have experienced theft, with 14% saying money or property was stolen from them or another household member in the past year. Vandalism, at 12%, is also one of the more common crimes. Americans are least likely to say a member of their household has been the victim of any of the three violent crimes asked about in the survey, which include physical assault (3%), sexual assault (2%) and aggravated robbery (2%).

The biggest increase observed this year was three percentage points for burglary, with 5% saying their home or apartment was broken into in the past year.

Gallup finds that 5% of U.S. households and 3% of U.S. adults were victimized by at least one of the three violent crimes measured in its Crime survey.

2019 Was The First Year Where Violent Crime Reached Three Percent

“Each year since 2017, 15% of U.S. adults have indicated they were victimized by crime in the past year. A subset of that, between 1% and 3%, have reported being the victim of a violent crime.” One percent of Americans were victimized by violent crime in 2016. That tripled to three percent in 2019. 2019 is the first year where violent crime reached three percent, Gallup.

The seven percent of urban residents violently victimized in the current-latest data indicates the degree of the problem for cities.

Internet Crime

This year, 17% say someone in their household was the victim of identity theft, tying the 2016 measure as the highest to date. Additionally, 28% say a computer hacker stole personal, credit card or financial information from a member of their household, up significantly from 20% a year ago and also the highest Gallup has measured.

Gallup

Conclusions

If 30 percent of urban-household residents (big and small cities) were victimized by crime in 2021 (up from 22 percent) and if 28 percent (up from 20 percent) of households say a computer hacker stole personal, credit card or financial information, it indicates a growing crime problem for at least half of American households. It is estimated that 83% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas.

Per Gallup, “Perceptions of a worsening crime situation may be a factor in the recent decline in President Joe Biden’s job approval rating and in Americans’ continuing low level of satisfaction with the way things are going in the United States.”

Also from Gallup in a separate report on fear of crime, “Should the murder rate remain high into 2022, that could compel more of a shift in Democrats’ views as well as intensify Republicans’ concerns, likely making crime an important issue in next year’s midterm elections.”

Most of the data above show overall stability or small increases in crime and violent crime (the exception is strong growth in internet and urban crime).

The big increase in household crime in urban areas is worrisome. Americans who say they live in a “big” or a “small” city are significantly more likely today than in 2020 to indicate their household was victimized by crime.

The overall data from the FBI and Gallup and academic sources indicate significant crime and fear problems that will have an impact on society and elections.

See More

See more articles on crime and justice at Crime in America.

Most Dangerous Cities/States/Countries at Most Dangerous Cities.

US Crime Rates at Nationwide Crime Rates.

National Offender Recidivism Rates at Offender Recidivism.

An Overview Of Data On Mental Health at Mental Health And Crime.

The Crime in America.Net RSS feed (https://crimeinamerica.net/?feed=rss2) provides subscribers with a means to stay informed about the latest news, publications, and other announcements from the site.

3 Replies to “30 Percent Of Urban Households Victimized By Crime In 2021”