Major Crimes In U.S. Increase 2001 Rise Follows 9 Years of Decline

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer

June 23, 2002; Page A01

The number of major crimes in the United States increased last year for the first time in a decade, bringing an end to a decline in violence that had resulted in the lowest crime levels in a generation, according to FBI statistics.

The increase included a 3.1 percent rise in murders reported by police departments nationwide, along with significant jumps in the numbers of robberies, burglaries and car thefts, according to the preliminary FBI survey, which was obtained by The Washington Post. Overall, major crimes in 2001 were up by 2 percent from the year before.

One exception to the national trend was the District, which reported a slight drop in crime of 0.4 percent, including lower numbers for homicide, aggravated assault and theft. But the District reported increases in several other serious crime categories, including robberies, burglaries and car thefts, the report says.

The national increase, outlined in an annual report to be released Monday by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, reverses nine years of declining crime numbers and is certain to fuel debates on Capitol Hill over proposed cuts in anti-crime measures.

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