Of all the most serious crimes tracked by the FBI – known as Part I offenses – larceny is by far the most common. There were 4.6 million cases of larceny-theft reported in the United States in 2020, accounting for nearly 60% of all Part I offenses, which also include murder, assault, robbery, vehicle theft, and burglary.
Larceny is a classification of crime that includes all nonviolent theft, with the exception of motor-vehicle theft. Common examples of larceny include purse snatching, pick pocketing, shoplifting, and bicycle theft. According to the FBI, larceny-thefts result in billions of dollars in losses annually.
Though larceny-theft is relatively widespread in the United States, reported incidents of larceny have been declining for years. Between 2019 and 2020 alone, the number of reported larceny cases fell by 11%, or, adjusting for population, 171 incidents for every 100,000 people. The national decline is being driven by steep reductions in larceny offenses in some major metropolitan areas.
Using data from the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. determined the 50 metro areas where the larceny-theft rate is falling fastest. Metro areas are ranked by the change in the number of larcenies reported for every 100,000 people between 2019 and 2020. Among the metro areas on this list, the larceny rate fell anywhere from 261 to 734 incidents per 100,000 people.
Larceny – along with motor vehicle theft and burglary – is one component of the property crime category. Partially due to a falling larceny rate, the overall property crime rate also declined in every metro area on this list with available data. Here is a look at the metro areas where property crime is falling fastest.
The metro areas on this list span the country, though Florida alone is home to eight, the most of any state. Despite declining larceny rates, the larceny-theft rate remains higher than the national rate of 1,398 per 100,000 people in most of the metro areas on this list. Here is a look at the city with the most larceny thefts in every state.
Click here to see the cities where petty crime is falling the fastest
Click here to read our detailed methodology
Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor:
Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Source: Read Full Article