US News

Violent crime continues to rise across US

A new survey has revealed a national jump in violent crime for the second year in a row, a sign that the 20-year trend toward safe streets and secure homes is coming to an end.

Between 2011 and 2012, the violent-crime rate rose 15 percent and the property-crime rate rose 12 percent, based on data from the annual National Crime Victimization Survey.

The data paint a gloomier picture of crime in America because it often includes assaults, robberies and sexual attacks not reported to police.

The rate of violent crime that actually was reported to police did not change significantly from 2011 to 2012, the report said.

Crime rates had been declining since 1993, with an increase in 2006 the only exception. From 1993 to 2011, the rate of violent crime declined by 72 percent.

But in 2012, the most recent year for which data were recorded, residents in urban areas continued to experience the highest rate of violent crime, the report said.

Homicide is not included in the survey because the data are gathered from actual victims.