Results of 2017 Annual Crime Report

The FBI released its annual crime report for 2017, and property crimes were 3 percent lower than they were in 2016, marking the 15th consecutive year the collective estimates for these offensives declined.

Nationwide, there were an estimated 7,694,086 property crimes, according to the report. Of this number, there were an estimated 1,401,840 burglaries, a decrease of 7.6 percent when compared with 2016 data.

In 2017 the number of burglaries decreased 27.4 percent when compared with 2013 data and was down 37.1 percent when compared with the 2008 estimate.

Why the decrease? Many crime experts feel the age of crime-prone individuals (typically 15-24 year olds) is a large factor. The decline in this population demographic reduces the crime numbers. Many also believe that security systems play a chief role in the reduction of property crimes, especially burglaries.   In a study done three years ago, 73 percent of burglars said that they preferred to abandon their attempt if there was a system in the home. Experts also believe that not only installing home alarm systems, but adding cameras and other additions to their systems are responsible for the reduction of residential burglaries.

Overview 
  • Burglaries accounted for 18.2 percent of the estimated number of property crimes.
  • By subcategory, 57.5 percent of burglaries involved forcible entry, 36.2 percent were unlawful entries, and 6.3 percent were attempted forcible entry.
  • Victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $3.4 billion in property losses in 2017. The average dollar loss per burglary offense was $2,416.
  • Burglaries of residential properties accounted for 67.2 percent of all burglary offenses.
 home crimes