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Indicator : Violent and property crime

Rationale: Crime rates are an important aspect of community safety.

Violent crimes reported, per 100,000 people

Year
1990289.9
1991318.7
1992351.7
1993351.6
1994359.3
1995354.5
1996340.8
1997337.4
1998310.3
1999277.7
2000283.3
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Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Minnesota Planning

Violent crimes reported per 100,000, median county

Year
199096.1
199195.7
1992122.3
1993127.8
1994113.8
1995106.3
1996115.9
1997120.8
1998129.2
1999114.6
2000117.9
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Data source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Minnesota Planning

Serious property crimes reported, per 100,000 people

Year
19904,253.8
19914,268.8
19924,278.6
19934,065.4
19944,006.6
19954,137.7
19964,182.8
19974,099.1
19983,767.5
19993,313.9
20003,243.6
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Local data

Data source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Minnesota Planning

Serious property crimes reported per 100,000, median county

Year
19902,277.0
19912,499.0
19922,467.0
19932,273.3
19942,339.6
19952,574.1
19962,494.3
19972,404.9
19982,418.2
19992,066.5
20001,970.7
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Data source: Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Minnesota Planning

About this indicator: Violent and serious property crime in Minnesota rose steadily during the first half of the 1990s, but declined during the last half of the decade. Violent crime reached a high of 359 per 100,000 people in 1994. The sharpest drop occurred between 1997 and 1999, when the rate dropped from 337 to 278 per 100,000. In 2000, the rate rose slightly to 283. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, aggravated assault and robbery.

Serious property crime fluctuated during the first half of the decade, but fell from 4,183 per 100,000 population in 1996 to 3,244 per 100,000 in 2000, a decline of 22 percent. Serious property crime includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Crime rates tend to be higher in more populous counties such as Hennepin and Ramsey, but in most other places are much lower than the statewide rates. In 1999, most of the state's counties had violent crime rates that were less than half the state rate.

For comparison: Minnesota's 2000 violent crime rate of 283 was only about half the national rate of 506 per 100,000 population. Minnesota's serious property crime rate, 3244 was also below the national rate of 3618.

Things to think about: As violent and serious property crimes have declined both nationally and in Minnesota, surveys show that Minnesotans attitudes toward "feeling safe" have remained consistently high over the past five years. (See Indicator 21, Sense of safety)

Technical notes: Summing county-level data will not equal the state total, because State Patrol and Capitol Security data is in the state total, but cannot be identified by a specific county.

Sources:

  • Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, www.dps.state.mn.us/bca/CJIS/Documents/Crime2000/Page-14-002.html
  • Minnesota Planning, State Demographic Center, www.mnplan.state.mn.us/demography/index.html
  • U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States 1999, www.fbi.gov/ucr

Related data trends:

  • State and county population, total
    • Violent crimes reported
      • Serious property crimes reported

        • Related indicators:

        Other related indicators:

        • School children who feel safe or very safe at school (Office of the Minnesota Attorney General, Safe Schools 2000 survey, www.ag.state.mn.us/classroom/safeSchls_00.htm)
        • Juvenile apprehensions and adult arrests, by race and ethnic origin (Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota Crime Information)
        • Homicide rate (Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minnesota Crime Information)
        • Arson rate (Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Fire in Minnesota.)

        Retrieve county data for: Serious property crimes reported, per 100,000 people
        Retrieve county data for: Violent crimes reported, per 100,000 people

Technical problems? Contact: andrew.koebrick@state.mn.us