Skip to main content

Small Town Murders Up, Overall US Violence Down

By Andrew Lu on June 18, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Moving to the suburbs because you think that may be safer for your family?

Well, you better think again. According to a national study, the US murder rate and murder statistics between city and town may surprise you.

For the past decade there has been a downward trend in the US murder rate that continued through the past year, reports The Associated Press. And this trend continued last year as a new FBI murder statistics show.

Nationally, violent crime was down 4% with the US murder rate falling by almost 2%. But in towns with populations under 10,000, there was actually a sharp increase in murder statistics with a shocking 18.3% jump.

So what's the reason for the decline nationally in murders, but rise in small towns?

The FBI report didn't give a reason, so we can only hazard a guess. In some major cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, the city has taken the initiative and instituted curfews for young people. These curfews basically mandate that minors under the age of 18 be home at a certain hour like 10:00 p.m. If a minor is caught outside, the child's guardians will receive a stiff fine. So with money on the line, you can bet that parents who otherwise wouldn't care, are making sure that their teens are home every night and not out on the streets.

Bored teens out late at night cause trouble. The FBI did not give a reason for the declining US murder rate in cities, but initiatives like city-wide curfews may have played a role in last year's murder statistics.

And with the rise of murders in small towns, these towns may also want to think of taking preventative steps like curfews.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard