The FBI's preliminary Uniform Crime Report shows that generally, violent crime fell in 2007 after a two-year rise.
The data also seem to show that violent crime fell the most in big cities, while some smaller cities and towns saw an uptick. Property crimes, especially car theft, fell.
The FBI is careful to point out to journalists:
Figures used in this Report are submitted voluntarily by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Individuals using these tabulations are cautioned against drawing conclusions by making direct comparisons between cities. Comparisons lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents.
The FBI provides links to view its data state-by-state:
The New York Times notes one professor's skepticism:
Because the FBI preliminary figures do not contain the detailed age, race and gender breakdowns available in the final report later in the year, they may unintentionally mask a growing murder rate among black male teenagers and young adults, particularly with guns, said James Alan Fox, professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University.
''We shouldn't be fooled into thinking our problems are over,'' Fox said. He pointed out that from 2002 to 2006 the rate of murder committed by black male teens rose 52 percent.
''Violence is down among whites of all ages and both genders; it's up among black males, not black females,'' Fox said. ''When you blend all the national numbers together you fail to see this divergence. There are many more whites in the population, so their decline can dwarf the increase among young black males.''
