In this article, I will provide you with some facts and insights about the states that have the most violent and property crimes per capita, based on the latest data from the FBI and other sources. I will also explain some of the possible factors and consequences of high crime rates, as well as some of the measures that are being taken to reduce them. Let’s get started!
What are crime rates and how are they measured?
Crime rates are statistical indicators that measure the frequency and severity of criminal activity in a given area or population. They are usually expressed as the number of crimes per 100,000 people or households. Crime rates can be divided into two main categories: violent crime and property crime. Violent crime includes offenses such as murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, while property crime includes offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Crime rates can vary widely depending on the source, methodology, and definition of crime used. For this article, I will mainly use the data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which collects information from law enforcement agencies across the country. However, I will also refer to other sources when necessary.
Which states have the highest crime rates in 2020?
According to the FBI’s UCR data, the national average violent crime rate in 2020 was 379.4 per 100,000 people, while the national average property crime rate was 2,109.9 per 100,000 people. However, these averages mask significant variations among different states. Here are the top 10 states with the highest crime rates in 2020, based on both violent and property crimes:
1. Alaska
Alaska had the highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 867.1 incidents per 100,000 people. This was more than twice the national average and an increase of 3.5% from 2019. Alaska also had the second-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 3,055.5 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 6.4% from 2019 and nearly 50% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Alaska’s high crime rates include its large geographic size, low population density, harsh weather conditions, limited law enforcement resources, high poverty rate, substance abuse problems, and domestic violence issues.
2. New Mexico
New Mexico had the second-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 783 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 7% from 2019 and more than double the national average. New Mexico also had the fourth-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,846 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 3% from 2019 but still over 35% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for New Mexico’s high crime rates include its proximity to the Mexican border, drug trafficking activities, gang violence, low educational attainment, high unemployment rate, and lack of mental health services.
3. Tennessee
Tennessee had the third-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 653.7 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 9% from 2019 and nearly twice the national average. Tennessee also had the ninth-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,576 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 4% from 2019 but still over 20% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Tennessee’s high crime rates include its large urban areas, such as Memphis and Nashville, where most of the crimes occur; its high poverty rate; its opioid epidemic; its gun violence problem; and its low incarceration rate.
4. Arkansas
Arkansas had the fourth-highest violent crime rate in 2020
5. Louisiana
Louisiana had the fifth-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 613.8 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 2% from 2019 but still over 60% higher than the national average. Louisiana also had the sixth-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,799.4 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 6% from 2019 but still over 30% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Louisiana’s high crime rates include its history of racial discrimination and social inequality; its high incarceration rate; its corruption and political instability; its natural disasters and environmental issues; and its low educational attainment and health outcomes.
6. South Carolina
South Carolina had the sixth-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 579.8 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 5% from 2019 and over 50% higher than the national average. South Carolina also had the seventh-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,790.5 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 3% from 2019 but still over 30% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for South Carolina’s high crime rates include its high poverty rate; its domestic violence problem; its drug abuse problem; its lack of mental health services; and its low police funding and staffing.
7. Nevada
Nevada had the seventh-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 541.1 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 14% from 2019 but still over 40% higher than the national average. Nevada also had the highest property crime rate in 2020, with 3,371.7 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 10% from 2019 but still over 60% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Nevada’s high crime rates include its tourism industry, which attracts many visitors and criminals; its gambling and prostitution activities, which create opportunities for fraud and violence; its high unemployment rate; its low educational attainment; and its urban sprawl and population growth.
8. Missouri
Missouri had the eighth-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with
540.7 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 1% from 2019 but still over 40% higher than the national average. Missouri also had the tenth-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,571.4 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 5% from 2019 but still over 20% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Missouri’s high crime rates include its large metropolitan areas, such as St. Louis and Kansas City, where most of the crimes occur; its racial and economic disparities; its gun violence problem; its drug trafficking problem; and its low police funding and accountability.
9. Alabama
Alabama had the ninth-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 519.6 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 8% from 2019 and over 35% higher than the national average. Alabama also had the eleventh-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,559.1 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 2% from 2019 but still over 20% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Alabama’s high crime rates include its high poverty rate; its low educational attainment; its domestic violence problem; its lack of mental health services; and its corruption and political instability.
10. Oklahoma
Oklahoma had the tenth-highest violent crime rate in 2020, with 497.6 incidents per 100,000 people. This was an increase of 3% from 2019 and over 30% higher than the national average. Oklahoma also had the eighth-highest property crime rate in 2020, with 2,788 incidents per 100,000 people. This was a decrease of 4% from 2019 but still over 30% higher than the national average. Some of the possible reasons for Oklahoma’s high crime rates include its high incarceration rate; its opioid epidemic; its rural-urban divide; its tribal conflicts; and its natural disasters and environmental issues.
What are the impacts and solutions of high crime rates?
High crime rates have negative impacts on both individuals and society as a whole. They can cause physical, psychological, and financial harm to victims and their families; they can reduce the quality of life and well-being of residents and communities; they can erode the trust and confidence in law enforcement and justice systems; they can hinder the economic development and social cohesion of states and regions; and they can pose threats to national security and public safety.
To address the problem of high crime rates, various strategies and policies have been implemented or proposed by different stakeholders, such as government agencies, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, academic institutions, private sector entities, and civil society groups. Some of these strategies and policies include:
- Increasing the funding and staffing of law enforcement agencies to improve their capacity and effectiveness in preventing and responding to crimes.
- Enhancing the training and education of law enforcement officers to improve their professionalism and accountability in dealing with crimes and criminals.
- Implementing community policing programs to foster collaboration and trust between law enforcement agencies and local communities in fighting crimes.
- Adopting evidence-based practices and data-driven approaches to identify the causes and patterns of crimes and to design and evaluate interventions.
- Promoting restorative justice programs to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders and to repair the harm caused by crimes.
- Supporting victim assistance programs to provide counseling, compensation, and advocacy services to victims of crimes.
- Strengthening the prevention and treatment of substance abuse problems to reduce the demand and supply of illicit drugs that fuel crimes.
- Improving the access and quality of mental health services to address the psychological issues that contribute to or result from crimes.
- Expanding the educational opportunities and economic prospects for disadvantaged groups to reduce the inequality and poverty that breed crimes.
- Fostering a culture of respect for human rights, diversity, and non-violence to prevent hate crimes and discrimination.
Conclusion
In this article, I have presented you with some information about the top 10 states with the highest crime rates in the United States in 2020, based on both violent and property crimes. I have also explained some of the possible factors and consequences of high crime rates, as well as some of the measures that are being taken to reduce them. I hope you have found this article informative and interesting.