In April 2023, CCJ launched the Crime Trends Working Group to continue the important work of grounding debates about crime and criminal justice reform in facts. Composed of 16 diverse leaders from academia, advocacy, law enforcement, government, and the public health sector, the Working Group’s mission is to explore and explain current crime trends while building consensus for significant improvements in the nation’s capacity to produce timely, accurate, and complete crime data.
In mid-2024, the Working Group released a set of recommendations to strengthen the nation’s crime data infrastructure and better equip policymakers with data essential to effectively address community violence and other crime. The recommendations proposed action in multiple areas by federal, state, and local agencies and called for increased appropriations to enable the Bureau of Justice Statistics to assume an expanded role in national crime data reporting.
Note: The late criminologist Richard Rosenfeld, Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and former president of the American Society of Criminology, was the founding chair of the Working Group and the co-author of our crime trends reports. Rosenfeld, an eminent scholar who was a trusted resource for policymakers and an exceptional interpreter of crime patterns for the media, passed away on January 8, 2024. CCJ is deeply indebted to him for his contributions to our organization and the field.
working group Recommendations
CCJ’s Crime Trends Working Group reached consensus on recommendations to strengthen the nation’s crime data infrastructure and better equip policymakers with timely, accurate, and usable data essential to address community violence and other crime.
Publications
Shoplifting Trends in Time and Space: A Study of Two Major American Cities
This report looks at the prevalence and concentration of shoplifting in two major cities—Los Angeles and Chicago—before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between the Aisles: A Closer Look at Shoplifting Trends
Examining data for the nation’s three largest cities through fall of 2024, this report finds that shoplifting levels remain higher than pre-pandemic rates. It also highlights two conflicting sources of federal data on the crime.
Violent Victimization is Decreasing—But Not for Everyone
Exploring disparities in the 2023 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), this analysis finds that while overall nonlethal violent victimization fell from 2022, Black Americans experienced rising victimization rates.
Toward a Better Estimate of Domestic Violence in America
Using new methodology that accounts for the underreporting of domestic violence to law enforcement, this analysis estimates that incidents in a sample of 20 large cities are 29% to 53% higher than what official counts show.
Trends in Juvenile Offending: What You Need to Know
What do the data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) tell us about juvenile crime in the United States? This brief explores the trends and variables such as race, age group, and crime type.
Youth Crime Before and After the Beginning of COVID-19: A Survey of Middle and High School Students in the United States
How did COVID-19 affect youth crime? Did race, parental education attainment, or county of residence influence trends? Research based on a 50-year-old annual survey of youth answers these questions and more.
Homicide, Most Other Violent Crimes Drop to Pre-Pandemic Levels in U.S. Cities
New CCJ analysis of mid-year crime trends also shows year-over-year decreases in motor vehicle theft and carjacking,
while shoplifting continues to rise.
Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2024 Update
Homicide and most other violent crimes have dropped to or slightly below levels seen before the onset of the COVID pandemic. Mid-year 2024 analyses also show declines for 11 of 12 crime types compared to the first half of 2023.
Trends in Burglary: What You Need to Know
This fact sheet analyzes rates of burglary since 1960. With a focus on residential burglary, it explores effects of city size on offense levels and examines arrest and clearance rates.
Trends in Assault: What You Need to Know
This fact sheet spotlights trends in aggravated assault, rape and sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. It explores variables ranging from weapon type to age of arrest and clearance rates.
Trends in Larceny: What You Need to Know
Examining changes in larceny rates from 1960 forward, this fact sheet also explores average arrest age, clearance rates, and the various types of larceny, including shoplifting.
Trends in Robbery: What You Need to Know
With data from as far back as 1960, this fact sheet takes a close look at trends in robbery over time, providing details related to arrest age and sex, victim age and sex, clearance rates, and type of weapon used.
Working Group Members
John Roman (Chair)
Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Public Safety and Justice, NORC at the University of Chicago
Richard Rosenfeld (founding chair)
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Ruth Abaya
Attending Physician, Emergency Department, and Practice-Based Scholar, Center for Violence Prevention, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Thomas Abt
Founding Director, Violence Reduction Center, University of Maryland; Senior Fellow, Council on Criminal Justice
Delrice Adams
Executive Director, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
Jeff Asher
Co-Founder, AH Datalytics
Deborah Azrael
Director of Research, Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Jamein Cunningham
Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin
Drew Evans
Superintendent, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Chief Edgardo Garcia
Chief of Police, Dallas Police Department; President, Major Cities Chiefs Association
Brandon Gibson
Chief Operating Officer, State of Tennessee
Janet Lauritsen
Curators' Distinguished Professor Emerita, Dept. of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Michael Nutter
Former President, U.S. Conference of Mayors; Former Mayor, City of Philadelphia
Kathleen O'Toole
Partner, 21CP Solutions; Former Chief, Seattle Police Department
Fernando Rejón
Executive Director, Urban Peace Institute
Lisa Shoaf
Director, Statistical Analysis Center, Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services
Keon Turner
Data Analysis and Reporting Team Manager, Virginia Department of State Police
John Buntin
Project Director, Crime Trends Working Group
Working Group Liaisons
Brian Griffith
Deputy Assistant Director, Law Enforcement and Technology Services Branch, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Shelley Hyland
Senior Statistical Advisor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
Press releases
About The Art
The banner design was created by an adult in custody designer in the Oregon Corrections Enterprises (OCE) Graphic Design program. The mission of OCE, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections, is to promote public safety by providing adults in custody with work and training opportunities in a self-sustaining organization.
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