Washington – Violent crime rose nearly 2 percent last year, the FBI reported Monday in nationwide data that show a slightly higher increase than expected.
The number of murders in 2006 increased by 1.8 percent over the previous year. In big cities of more than 1 million people, however, murder jumped by 6.8 percent. The number of robberies and arson also rose, while the number of rapes and car thefts dropped, FBI data show.
The new numbers confirm that crime rates continued on a two-year upward trend after a relative lull in violence between 2002 and 2004.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse cast the report as good news in the effort to combat gangs, guns and violence, pointing out that the rate of crimes per 100,000 people had declined to its lowest level in 30 years.
“While there’s encouraging news in the latest crime rates from the FBI … violent crime remains a challenge for some communities,” Roehrkasse said.
The Bush administration has pledged to spend $50 million this year to combat gangs and guns, and is pushing Congress for new laws to let the federal government better investigate and prosecute violent crime.
