Violent crime on the rise in the US
UNITED STATES: Violent crime in the United States rose for a
second year in a row in 2006, increasing 1.3 percent, the Washington
Post reported, citing new government figures.
The number of robberies increased six percent and murders increased
slightly, law enforcement officials told the newspaper, referring to an
annual report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to be
released Monday.
It was the first sustained increase in violent crime in the country
since the early 1990s.
In 2005, the number of violent crimes rose 2.3 percent, an increase
for the first time after three years of lower rates. Rape fell slightly
by 2.3 percent.
The 2006 rise came in part from middle-sized cities, including the US
capital Washington, government officials told the Washington Post.
Criminologists told the daily that gangs and the release of large
numbers of prisoners were in part responsible for the rising crime.
The crime statistics could prove politically embarrassing for
President George W. Bush, who has portrayed himself as tough on crime.
Washington, Sunday, AFP |
