A FIRST LOOK AT 2017 CRIME STATS

According to a Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law study, the crime rate in the United States is expected to go down by 1.8 percent in 2017. If this is true, it would represent the second-lowest rate of crime since 1990. New York residents may also be interested to know that the nation-wide violent crime rate is expected to drop by .6 percent in 2017.

This is attributed to the fact that crime rates have either fallen or stabilized in Washington D.C. and Chicago. The murder rate is expected to fall 2.5 percent, and this is attributed to declines in Detroit, Houston and New York. The murder rate fell 25.6 percent in Detroit, 20.5 percent in Houston and 19.1 percent in New York. While crime rates are down nationally, there are cities such as Charlotte where murder rates have increased.

The murder rate in Charlotte doubled in the first half of 2017 compared to 2016. Overall, the violent crime rate is expected to be slightly higher than the rate seen in 2014, which had the lowest rate since 1990. The data for the report was gathered from police departments in the 30 largest American cities. Projections were made in some cases using historical and other data.

Those who are charged with violent crimes may face a variety of penalties. In some cases, convictions can lead to many years in prison in addition to being put on probation or performing community service. Individuals charged with any type of crime may benefit from speaking with legal counsel. It may be possible to assert that there was no intent to commit a crime or that it was done in self-defense.