Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A nearly 20-year decline in violence has come to an end, according to a federal survey on crimes, the USA Today reports.
The violent crime rate rose 17% last year, while the rate of property crimes increased 11%, according to the Justice Department’s National Crime Victimization Survey.
Whether the rise was anomalous or part of a disturbing new trend remains unclear, criminal justice analysts told the USA Today.
“I wouldn’t make much out of it,” said University of Maryland criminologist Charles Wellford. “One year does not make a trend, and these institutional measures (the Justice survey and the FBI crime report) are best at measuring trends.”
