U.S. Department of Justice

Offi ce of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics September 2011, NCJ 234319

BJS

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Arrest in the United States, 1980-2009

Howard N. Snyder, Ph.D., BJS Statistician

Introduction

Th is report presents newly developed national estimates of arrests 

and arrest rates covering the 30-year period from 1980 to 2009, based 

on data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR). 

By reviewing trends over the 30 years, readers can develop a detailed 

understanding of matters entering the criminal justice system in the 

U.S. through arrest.

Th e UCR collects arrest data from participating state and local law 

enforcement agencies. Th ese agencies provide monthly counts of their 

arrests (including citations and summons) for criminal acts within 

several off ense categories. In Crime in the United States, 2009, the FBI 

estimated that the state and local law enforcement agencies covered 

by the UCR made 13,687,000 arrests in 2009. Statistics in this report 

expand the FBI’s set of published arrest estimates to include estimates 

of arrests by age group, sex, and race within many off ense categories. 

Th ese detailed breakdowns of arrests and arrest trends provide a 

unique understanding of the fl ow of individuals into the criminal 

justice system over a long period of time. Within a single off ense 

category, arrest trends oft en diff er substantially for males and females, 

juveniles and adults, and racial groups.

To interpret the arrest statistics presented in the report, readers 

are encouraged to review the FBI’s counting rules discussed in the 

Methodology. Th is report uses arrest rates rather than arrest counts to 

display 30-year trends, because rates control for changes in the size of 

the reference population over this time period. In addition, readers 

should review graph legends before studying the graphs because some 

arrest rates have been multiplied by a constant to make the trends 

more visible. In the graph legends throughout this report, American 

Indian/Alaskan Native is abbreviated as AIAN, and Asian/Pacifi c 

Islander is abbreviated as API.

In addition to this report, BJS has developed an online data access 

tool that enables users to generate graphs and tables of national trends 

in arrests and arrest rates for a large set of off enses and population 

subgroups. Th e online tool is available on the BJS website. Th is tool will 

enable policymakers, justice system professionals, advocates, the media, 

researchers, students, and the public to produce the specifi c information 

they need with little eff ort, information that is oft en not readily available 

or that cannot be found in any other resource. 

Highlights 

 The U.S. murder arrest rate in 2009 was 

about half of what it was in the early 1980s. 

Over the 30-year period ending in 2009, the 

adult arrest rate for murder fell 57%, while 

the juvenile arrest rate fell 44%.

 From 1980 to 2009, the black forcible rape 

arrest rate declined 70%, while the white 

arrest rate fell 31%. 

 In 1980 the male arrest rate for aggravated 

assault was 8 times greater than the female 

rate; by 2009 the male rate had fallen to 4 

times the female rate. This is because the 

male arrest rate was about the same in 

1980 and 2009, while the female arrest rate 

doubled over the period.

 The burglary arrest rate declined 

substantially and rather consistently 

between 1980 and 2009, falling 57% over 

the 30-year period. Over the same period, 

the male arrest rate for burglary declined 

61%, while the female rate remained 

essentially constant. 

 In 1980, juvenile arrests made up 38% 

of all larceny-theft arrests; by 2009, this 

percentage had fallen to 24%. Over the 

30-year period, the juvenile arrest rate for 

larceny-theft declined 40%, while the adult 

arrest rate ended the period near where it 

had begun.

 In 1980, 22% of all drug law violation arrests 

were for drug sale or manufacture. This 

proportion peaked in 1991 at 36% and fell 

to 19% by 2009. 

 Between 1980 and 2009, while the adult 

arrest rate for drug possession or use grew 

138%, the juvenile arrest rate increased 

33%. Similarly, from 1980 to 2009, the 

increase in the arrest rate for drug sale or 

manufacture was greater for adults (77%) 

than for juveniles (31%).
2 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

TABLE 1

Arrest in the Unites States, by sex, age group, and race, 2009

Race

O ense Total

Age group

White Black

American 

Indian/

Alaska 

Native

Asian/

Paci c 

Islander

Sex Juvenile

under 

Male Female age 18 Adult

Total 13,689,220 10,231,950 3,457,260 1,906,590 11,782,630 9,504,860 3,831,590 190,530 162,240

Violent

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 12,420 11,110 1,310 1,170 11,250 6,110 6,060 130 120

Forcible rape 21,410 21,110 290 3,110 18,290 14,130 6,740 220 310

Robbery 126,720 111,750 14,970 31,680 95,040 54,230 70,310 910 1,280

Aggravated assault 421,220 328,780 92,430 49,930 371,290 268,730 141,370 6,050 5,070

Simple assault 1,319,460 976,420 343,040 219,670 1,099,790 864,890 419,770 19,200 15,600

Property

Burglary 299,350 254,990 44,360 74,780 224,570 200,100 93,880 2,560 2,810

Larceny-theft 1,334,930 754,600 580,340 317,670 1,017,260 911,290 385,860 18,310 19,470

Motor vehicle theft 81,800 67,280 14,520 19,910 61,890 50,210 29,390 1,060 1,140

Arson 12,200 10,120 2,080 5,340 6,860 9,160 2,750 150 150

Forgery and counterfeiting 85,840 53,510 32,340 2,140 83,700 57,400 27,040 430 970

Fraud 210,250 119,340 90,920 6,150 204,100 141,270 65,390 1,650 1,950

Embezzlement 17,920 8,800 9,120 610 17,310 11,850 5,640 90 330

Stolen property-off ense 105,300 83,350 21,950 18,740 86,570 66,270 37,240 840 950

Vandalism 270,440 221,620 48,820 90,460 179,980 201,640 61,520 4,250 3,030

Drug

Drug abuse violations 1,663,580 1,353,350 310,230 170,320 1,493,260 1,086,000 554,100 11,040 12,440

Drug sale/manufacturing 310,500 256,990 53,520 25,000 285,510 178,950 127,770 1,720 2,060

Drug possession/use 1,353,080 1,096,360 256,710 145,320 1,207,760 907,160 426,220 9,320 10,380

Other

Weapon law violations 166,330 152,830 13,510 33,870 132,460 95,750 67,810 1,220 1,550

Prostitution and commercialized vice 71,350 21,670 49,690 1,350 70,000 39,900 29,130 540 1,780

Other sex off enses 77,330 70,490 6,830 13,450 63,880 56,910 18,360 910 1,130

Gambling 10,360 9,160 1,200 1,780 8,580 2,990 7,030 30 310

Off enses against family and children 114,560 85,730 28,830 4,460 110,100 77,210 34,400 2,130 820

Driving under the infl uence 1,440,410 1,114,370 326,030 13,490 1,426,920 1,245,500 157,000 19,100 18,810

Liquor laws 570,330 406,670 163,670 110,320 460,010 479,790 64,340 18,600 7,600

Drunkenness 594,300 495,120 99,180 13,850 580,450 491,640 88,450 10,680 3,530

Disorderly conduct 655,320 479,250 176,070 170,130 485,190 416,620 222,070 11,190 5,440

Vagrancy 33,390 26,250 7,140 2,730 30,660 18,470 14,010 660 250

Suspicion 1,980 1,430 550 220 1,750 880 1,080 0 10

Curfew and loitering law violations 112,590 78,010 34,580 112,590 0 68,510 41,600 1,090 1,380

Runaways 93,430 41,860 51,580 93,430 0 61,090 25,070 2,080 5,200

All other o enses except tra c 3,764,670 2,872,980 891,700 323,250 3,441,420 2,506,310 1,154,160 55,400 48,800

Violent Crime Indexa 581,770 472,760 10,9010 85,890 495,870 343,190 224,490 7,310 6,780

Property Crime Indexb 1,728,280 1,086,990 641,290 417,690 1,310,590 1,170,760 511,870 22,070 23,580

Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See the Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.

aThe Violent Crime Index is the sum of arrests for murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

bThe Property Crime Index is the sum of arrests for burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
SEPTEMBER 2011 3

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter

Th e UCR defi nes murder (and non-negligent manslaughter) as the 

willful killing of one human being by another. It excludes deaths 

caused by negligence, accidental deaths, and justifi able homicides 

(i.e., the killing of a felon by a law enforcement offi cer in the line of 

duty, or the killing of a felon during the commission of a felony by a 

private citizen).

Th e annual murder arrest rate declined substantially in the U.S. 

between 1980 and 2009 ( gure 1). Th e rate was relatively high 

in 1980. Between 1980 and the early 1990s, it fl uctuated within a 

limited range, averaging 9 murder arrests for every 100,000 U.S. 

residents. Aft er reaching its highest level in 1991, the arrest rate 

declined markedly. Between 1991 and 2000 the murder arrest rate 

fell 51%. Aft er this sharp decline, the murder arrest rate remained 

relatively constant between 2000 and 2009, averaging less than 5 

arrests per 100,000 U.S. residents.

Over the 30-year period, 89% of arrests for murder were male 

arrests.Th e male arrest rate for murder, on average, was 8 times 

greater than the female arrest rate ( gure 2). Th e male and female 

murder arrest rate trends showed very similar patterns from 1980 

to 2009, each falling more than 50% over the period.

Th e murder arrest trends for juveniles (persons under age 18) were 

more volatile than the trends for adults ( gure 3). Between 1980 

and 2009 the adult arrest rate for murder declined gradually and 

rather consistently, ending the period 57% below its 1980 level. 

In sharp contrast to the adult arrest trend, the juvenile arrest rate 

for murder increased between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s. 

During the 10-year period between 1984 and its peak in 1993, the 

juvenile arrest rate for murder increased by 162%. Aft er 1993 the 

juvenile arrest rate fell substantially, and the increase seen between 

1984 and 1993 was completely erased by 1999. Th e rate continued 

to fall aft er 1999 so that by 2009 the juvenile arrest rate for murder 

was at its lowest level in the 30-year period, which was 44% below 

its 1980 level and 72% below its peak in 1993. At their peak in 1993, 

juvenile arrests were 16% of all murder arrests in the U.S. In 2009, 

juveniles were involved in 9% of all murder arrests. 

Murder arrest rates and trends in these rates varied widely among 

racial groups. Over the 30-year period, the black arrest rate for 

murder averaged 7 times the white rate ( gure 4). Th e American 

Indian/Alaskan Native (AIAN) rate averaged twice the white 

rate, while the Asian/Pacifi c Islander (API) rate averaged half the 

white rate. Between 1980 and 2009, the white arrest rate gradually 

declined, falling a total of 54%. In contrast, the black arrest rate 

for murder declined in the early 1980s, and then increased 43% 

between 1984 and 1991 to reach its peak for the period. Between 

1991 and 2009, the black arrest rate for murder fell sharply, 

declining a total of 65%. As a result, over the entire period from 

1980 to 2009, the black arrest rate for murder declined 58%, similar 

to the overall decline in the white rate. 

FIGURE 2

Murder arrest rates, by sex

Female*8

Male

0

5

10

15

20

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 3

Murder arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile*4

0

5

10

15

20

25

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 4

Murder arrest rates, by race

API*3

AIAN*3

Black

White*3

0

10

20

30

40

50

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 1

Murder arrest rates 

0

2

4

6

8

10

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000
4 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

FIGURE 5

Forcible rape arrest rates

0

5

10

15

20

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 6

Forcible rape arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile*2

0

5

10

15

20

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 7

Forcible rape arrest rates, by race

0

20

40

60

80

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000 White*2

Black

AIAN*2

API*2

Forcible rape

For UCR arrest statistics, forcible rape is defi ned as the carnal knowledge 

of a female forcibly and against her will. Th is defi nition includes rape, 

attempts to rape, and assaults to rape, regardless of the age of the victim. 

Statutory off enses (where no force is used and the victim is under age of 

consent) are excluded. Th is defi nition of forcible rape is limited to the 

act of sexual intercourse, or the penetration of a female sexual organ 

(vagina) by a male sexual organ (penis). Th is defi nition excludes other 

types of violent sexual assault such as forcible sodomy, forcible sex with 

an object, and forcible fondling. Th ese three categories of violent sexual 

assault are distinguished in the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting 

System (NIBRS). Capturing crimes reported in 2008 to law enforcement 

agencies with jurisdiction over about a fourth of the U.S. resident 

population, NIBRS showed that forcible rape as defi ned in the UCR 

arrest statistics represented 40% of all violent sexual assaults known to 

law enforcement.

Over 99% of arrests for forcible rape in the 30-year period from 1980 

through 2009 were male arrests. As a result, the overall arrest rate trend 

for forcible rape mirrors the 30-year male arrest rate trend. Th e forcible 

rape arrest rate was at its peak in the period from 1984 to 1991 ( gure 5). 

Between 1991 and 2009, it declined substantially and rather consistently, 

falling a total of 56%. In 2009 the forcible rape arrest rate was at its lowest 

level in at least 30 years.

Over the 30-year period the juvenile proportion of forcible rape arrests 

held relatively constant, averaging 16% of all forcible rape arrests 

annually and ranging from 14% to 17% ( gure 6). Th e juvenile and the 

adult arrest rates for forcible rape followed a similar pattern over the 

30-year period. Both began in 1980 at relatively high levels and ended in 

2009 at their lowest levels in more than a generation.

Th e decline in the forcible rape arrest rate was not similar across racial 

groups ( gure 7). In 1980 the numbers of forcible rape arrests of whites 

and of blacks were nearly equal, being 51% and 47% of all forcible rape 

arrests respectively. In 1980, these counts translated into a black forcible 

rape arrest rate that was 7 times greater than the white arrest rate. From 

1980 to 2009, the black forcible rape arrest rate declined 70%, the AIAN 

rate declined 67%, and the API rate declined 61%. In contrast, between 

1980 and 2009 the white arrest rate for forcible rape declined 31%. As a 

result, by 2009 the black arrest rate for forcible rape had fallen to 3 times 

the white arrest rate. In 2009, 66% of all arrests for forcible rape involved 

whites and 31% involved blacks.

Th e decline in the black arrest rate for forcible rape was shared by black 

juveniles and black adults. Both of these arrest rates fell about 70% 

between 1980 and 2009 ( gure 8). Th e white adult arrest rate also fell 

rather consistently across this period, with a smaller overall decline of 

35%. In contrast, the white juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape spiked 

in the early 1990s and then declined. Between 1980 and 1991 the white 

juvenile arrest rate for forcible rape increased 76%; aft er 1991 it declined 

so that by 2009 it was 9% below its 1980 level. 

Black adult

White adult*2

Black juvenile*2

White juvenile*3

0

20

40

60

80

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 8

Forcible rape arrest rates, by race and age 

group
SEPTEMBER 2011 5

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Robbery

Th e UCR defi nes robbery as taking or attempting to take anything 

of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons, by 

force, threat of force, violence, or by putting the victim in fear. From 

1980 through 1996 the annual robbery arrest rate stayed within a 

limited range, never fl uctuating by more than 10% from the average 

arrest rate of the period ( gure 9). Th e years 1997 and 1998 were 

transition years; from 1996 to 1999 the robbery arrest rate fell 33%. 

Between 1999 and 2009 the rate once again stabilized within a limited 

range, never fl uctuating by more than 8% from the period average. Th e 

robbery arrest rate in 2009 was 40% below its peak level in 1991 and 

12% above its lowest level in the 30-year period in 2002. 

Over the 30-year period, 91% of robbery arrests were male arrests. 

On average, the male arrest rate for robbery was 11 times greater than 

the female arrest rate. However, the rates converged between 1980 

and 2009; the ratio fell from 14 males to 1 female in 1980 to 8 to 1 in 

2009 ( gure 10). Th is convergence was the result of large decline in 

the male arrest rate coupled with a small increase in the female arrest 

rate. Between 1980 and 2009, while the female rate grew 9% over the 

period, the male arrest rate fell 40%. As a result, the female proportion 

of robbery arrests grew from 7% in 1980 to 12% in 2009. 

Between 1980 and 2009, 26% of all robbery arrests were juvenile 

arrests. Th is percentage ranged from a low of 22% in 1988 to a high of 

32% in 1995 and closed the period in 2009 at 25% ( gure 11). From 

1980 through the mid-1990s the juvenile arrest rate fl uctuated more 

than the adult rate, decreasing then increasing while the adult rate 

stayed within a limited range. Between 1995 and 2009 the juvenile 

and the adult arrest rates both fell. As a result, over the 30-year 

period from 1980 to 2009, the arrest rates for robbery declined 

substantially for both juveniles (down 40%) and adults (down 

34%), and were near their lowest level in 2009.

Over the 30-year period, an average of 40% of all arrests for robbery 

were white arrests, 59% were black arrests, and the remaining 1% 

were AIAN and API arrests. On average, the black arrest rate for 

robbery was 10 times the white rate. Th e black arrest rate was 10 times 

the white rate in 1980, rose to 13 times the white rate in 1989, and 

then declined to 8 times the white rate in 2009. At the peak in 1989, 

black arrests were 64% of all robbery arrests; in 2009 this proportion 

declined to 55%, which was nearly its lowest level in the 30-year 

period.

Th e disparity between black and white arrest rates lessened over time 

because the decline in the black arrest rate was greater than the decline 

in the white rate ( gure 12). From 1980 to 2009, both the white and 

the black arrest rates for robbery peaked around 1990 and declined to 

a relatively low level in 2009. Between 1990 and 2009, the white arrest 

rate for robbery fell 26% while the black rate fell 50%. Th e absolute 

magnitude of these declines is important to understand. Between 1990 

and 2009, the white robbery arrest rate (arrests per 100,000 persons in 

the racial group) fell from 30 to 22. Th e black rate fell from 340 to 171. 

In terms of absolute diff erence, the decrease in the black robbery arrest 

rate was about 20 times the decrease in the white rate. 

FIGURE 9

Robbery arrest rates

0

20

40

60

80

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 10

Robbery arrest rates, by sex

Female*6

Male

0

30

60

90

120

150

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 11

Robbery arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile

0

20

40

60

80

100

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 12

Robbery arrest rates, by race

0

100

200

300

400

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000 White*6

Black

AIAN*6

API*6
6 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

FIGURE 13

Aggravated assault arrest rates

0

50

100

150

200

250

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 14

Aggravated assault arrest rates, by sex

Female*4

Male

0

100

200

300

400

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 15

Aggravated assault arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile*2

0

50

100

150

200

250

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 16

Aggravated assault arrest rates, by race

API*4

AIAN*2

Black

White*2

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

Aggravated assault

Th e UCR defi nes aggravated assault as an unlawful attack by 

one person upon another for the purpose of infl icting severe 

or aggravated bodily injury. Th is type of assault usually is 

accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce 

death or great bodily harm. It excludes simple assaults: crimes in 

which no weapon is used or no serious or aggravated injury results 

to the victim. In the 30-year period between 1980 and 2009, arrests 

for aggravated assault peaked in 1995 ( gure 13). From 1980 to 

1995 the rate increased 75% and then it declined; by 2009 it was 

just 12% above its 1980 level. 

Between 1980 and 2009, on average, female arrests made up 17% 

of arrests for aggravated assault. Th is proportion increased over 

the period, from 12% in 1980 to 22% in 2009 ( gure 14). Th e male 

arrest rate in 1980 was 8 times the female arrest rate, and by 2009 it 

had fallen to 4 times the female rate. Between 1980 and their peak 

year of 1995, arrest rates increased signifi cantly for both males 

(up 63%) and females (up 150%), but the growth in the female 

rate was much greater. Between 1995 and 2009, the arrest rate for 

both males (down 40%) and females (down 19%) declined, but 

the female rate declined less. As a result, the male arrest rate for 

aggravated assault in 2009 was back at its 1980 level, while the 

female rate in 2009 was more than double its 1980 level.

Between 1980 and 2009, juvenile arrests made up an average of 14% 

of all aggravated assault arrests; this percentage ranged from 12% 

to 16% over the period ( gure 15). Th e general pattern of arrest 

rate growth and decline was similar for juveniles and adults; both 

peaked in the mid-1990s and returned to near their 1980 levels by 

2009. Th e arrest rate for aggravated assault was higher for juveniles 

(up 93%) than for adults (up 69%) between 1980 and 1995. It then 

declined more for juveniles (down 45%) than for adults (down 

35%) from 1995 to 2009. As a result, in 2009 the juvenile arrests 

rates for aggravated assault (up 6%) and the adult rate (up 10%) 

were both near but above their 1980 levels. 

Over the 30-year period, on average, 61% of all arrests for 

aggravated assault were white arrests, 37% were black arrests, 

and the other 2% were AIAN and API arrests. On average, the 

black arrest rate for aggravated assault was 4 times the white rate, 

although it grew to 5 times the white rate in 1988 and fell back to 3 

times the white rate in 2009 ( gure 16). 

Th e increase in the black arrest rate (54%) was greater than the 

increase in the white rate (31%) between 1980 and 1988. However, 

the white arrest rate increased more between 1988 and 1995, and 

both the white and the black rates in 1995 were about 75% above 

their 1980 levels. Between 1995 and 2009 both rates fell, but the 

black rate declined to a greater degree. As a result, in 2009 the black 

arrest rate for aggravated assault was 6% below its 1980 level (and 

at its lowest point of the 30-year period), while the white arrest rate 

was 21% above its 1980 level. 
SEPTEMBER 2011 7

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Simple assault

Th e UCR defi nes simple assault as an assault or attempted assault 

that does not involve a weapon or no serious or aggravated injury 

results to the victim. Stalking, intimidation, coercion, and hazing are 

included in this category of off ense. 

As with aggravated assault, the simple assault arrest rate increased 

substantially from 1980 to the mid-1990s ( gure 17). However, the 

growth in simple assault arrests was much greater than the growth 

in aggravated assault arrests. Between 1980 and 1995, while the 

aggravated assault arrest rate increased 75%, the simple assault arrest 

rate increased 125%. From the mid-1990s through 2009, both the 

aggravated and simple assault rates declined, but not to the same 

degree. By 2009 the aggravated assault rate had fallen to 12% above 

its 1980 level. In sharp contrast, the simple assault arrest rate declined 

aft er the mid-1990s, but this decline erased only a relatively small 

portion of the earlier increase. In 2009, the simple assault arrest rate 

was double what it had been in 1980. In 1980 there were 18 simple 

assault arrests for every 10 aggravated assault arrests, which gradually 

increased from 1980 to 2009. By 2009 there were 31 simple assault 

arrests for every 10 aggravated assault arrests. 

Th e change in male and female arrest rates for simple assault diff ered 

markedly over the 30-year period ( gure 18). Both grew substantially 

from their lows in 1980 to 1997, but the growth in the female arrest 

rate (up 268%) was substantially more than the growth in male arrest 

rate (up 116%). Between 1997 and 2009, while the male arrest rate 

declined, the female rate remained relatively constant. In 2009 the 

male arrest rate ended the 30-year period 69% above its 1980 level, 

while the 2009 female arrest rate was nearly four times its 1980 level 

(an increase of 281%). In 1980, females arrests for simple assault were 

14% of all simple assault arrests; by 2009 this proportion had grown to 

26%. Th is increase in the female involvement in simple assault arrests 

was similar to the increased female involvement in aggravated assault 

arrests. 

Th e simple assault arrest rates grew substantially for both juveniles (up 

152%) and adults (up 133%) from the early 1980s to their peaks in 1997 

( gure 19). Between 1997 and 2009 both rates declined, erasing just a 

portion of the earlier increase. In 2009, the adult rate was 93% above its 

1980 level, and the juvenile rate was 115% above its 1980 level. Th is large 

increase in both the juvenile and adult simple assault arrest rates over the 

30-year period contrasts sharply with the aggravated assault arrest rates, 

which had both returned to very near their 1980 levels by 2009. 

Over the 30-year period the simple assault arrest trends were very 

similar across racial groups ( gure 20). Th e arrests rates for each 

group peaked around 1997, with similar increases between 1980 

and 1997. Aft er these large increases, the period from 1997 through 

2009 saw relatively moderate declines, and all racial groups ended the 

period in 2009 with simple assault arrest rates far above their 1980 

levels. As a result, the racial profi le of simple assault arrests in 2009 

(White increased 66%; blacks, 32%; AIAN, 1%; and API, 1%) was very 

similar to the profi le in 1980. 

0

200

400

600

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 17

Simple assault arrest rates

Female*3

Male

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 18

Simple assault arrest rates, by sex

Adult

Juvenile*2

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 19

Simple assault arrest rates, by age group

API

AIAN

Black

White*2

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 20

Simple assault arrest rates, by race
8 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

FIGURE 21

Burglary arrest rates

0

50

100

150

200

250

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 22

Burglary arrest rates, by sex

Female*4

Male

0

100

200

300

400

500

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 23

Burglary arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile

0

100

200

300

400

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 24

Burglary arrest rates, by race

API*5

AIAN*2

Black

White*2

0

200

400

600

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

Burglary

Th e UCR defi nes burglary as unlawful entry into a structure (home, 

apartment, barn, church, factory, garage, or school) to commit 

a felony or a theft . Th eft s from automobiles or coin-operated 

machines (non-structures) and shoplift ing from commercial 

establishments (lawful entries) are classifi ed larceny-theft s, not 

burglaries. A larceny-theft may be an element of a burglary (a 

person enters a home and steals property), but an arrest for such 

crimes is classifi ed as a burglary using the UCR’s hierarchy rule.

Th e burglary arrest rate declined substantially and rather 

consistently between 1980 and 2009, falling 57% ( gure 21). In 

1980, 6% of all burglary arrests were female arrests. By 2009, 15% 

of all burglary arrests were female arrests ( gure 22). A study of the 

male and female arrest rate trends gives insight into this changing 

proportion. From 1980 to 2009 the male arrest rate for burglary 

declined substantially (falling 61%), while the female rate remained 

relatively constant. As a result, the female proportion of burglary 

arrests increased, even though the female arrest rate for burglary 

did not. 

Both the juvenile (down 72%) and the adult (down 44%) arrest 

rates for burglary fell substantially between 1980 and 2009, 

although juveniles showed a greater decline ( gure 23). As a result, 

the juvenile proportion of burglary arrests declined from 45% in 

1980 to 25% in 2009. 

On average, from 1980 to 2009 the black arrest rate for burglary 

was 3 times the white arrest rate, the AIAN arrest rate was equal to 

the white rate, and the API arrest rate was less than half the white 

rate ( gure 24). Unlike for other crimes, the black-to-white arrest 

rate ratio changed little over the period. Th e burglary arrest rate 

trends for whites and for blacks were very similar. Between 1980 

and 2009 the burglary arrest rates declined by more than half for 

whites (56%) and for blacks (58%). 
SEPTEMBER 2011 9

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Larceny-theft

Th e UCR defi nes larceny-theft as unlawfully taking, carrying, leading, 

or riding away with property from the possession or constructive 

possession of another. Larceny-theft includes shoplift ing, bicycle 

theft , theft of motor vehicle parts and accessories, pocketpicking, or 

the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and 

violence or by fraud. Embezzlement, confi dence games, forgery, check 

fraud, etc., are excluded. Motor vehicle theft is also excluded in this 

arrest statistic. 

Th e larceny-theft arrest rate increased 24% from 1980 to its peak in 

1989 ( gure 25). It then declined, reaching its low in 2006 at 44% 

below its 1989 peak. Between 2006 and 2009 the arrest rate increased 

20%. Yet even with this increase, the 2009 larceny-theft arrest rate was 

still 33% below its peak rate in 1989 and 17% below its 1980 level.

Th e male arrest rate trend mirrored the overall larceny-theft arrest rate 

trend, but the female arrest rate trend did not ( gure 26). Both the 

male and the female arrest rates for larceny-theft increased between 

1980 and 1989, and the increase in the arrest rate was greater for 

females (up 32%) than for males (up 21%). Both rates fell to their lows 

in 2006, with the male arrest rate (down 50%) declining more than the 

female rate (down 31%) declined between 1989 and 2006. Between 

2006 and 2009 the female arrest rate for larceny-theft increased 

substantially more (up 40%) than the male rate increased (up 8%). 

With the female pattern of greater increases and a smaller decline, the 

cumulative eff ect from 1980 to 2009 was a 35% drop in the male arrest 

rate for larceny-theft while the female arrest rate ended the period 28% 

higher than it began. In 1980, 29% of all arrests for larceny-theft were 

female arrests; by 2009 this proportion had grown to 43%. 

In 1980 juvenile arrests were 38% of all larceny-theft arrests; by 2009, 

this proportion had fallen to 24% ( gure 27). Between 1980 and 1997 

the juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft remained relatively constant 

during a period in which the adult arrest rate fl uctuated. (Th e adult rate 

increased 37% between 1980 and 1989, and then returned nearly to its 

1980 level.) Between 1997 and 2006, the arrest rates for larceny-theft 

declined for both juveniles (down 47%) and adults (down 26%). 

Aft er reaching their lows in 2006, both rates increased from 2006 to 

2009, with the adult rate (up 22%) increasing more than the juvenile 

rate (up 14%). As a result, the juvenile arrest rate for larceny-theft 

ended the 30-year period 40% below its 1980 level, while the 1980 and 

the 2009 adult arrest rates were similar.

In 2009, 68% of all arrests for larceny-theft were white arrests, 29% 

were black arrests, and the remaining 3% were AIAN and API arrests 

( gure 28). Th ese proportions translated into a black arrest rate for 

larceny-theft in 2009 that was 2.5 times the white rate. Th is proportion 

gradually declined from a level of 3.5 in the early 1980s. Th e disparity 

between the white and black arrest rates lessened because the black 

arrest rate declined more (30%) than the white rate (11%) from 1980 

to 2009. White and black larceny-theft arrest rates both reached their 

low points of the 30-year period in 2006 and increased similarly in the 

period from 2006 to 2009. 

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 25

Larceny-theft arrest rates

Female

Male

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 26

Larceny-theft arrest rates, by sex

Adult

Juvenile

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 27

Larceny-theft arrest rates, by age group

API*4

AIAN

Black

White*2

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrest/100,000

FIGURE 28

Larceny-theft arrest rates, by race
10 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Motor vehicle theft

Th e UCR defi nes motor vehicle theft as the theft or attempted theft 

of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is self-propelled and runs on a 

land surface and not on rails. Motorboats, construction equipment, 

airplanes, and farming equipment are specifi cally excluded from 

this category. Th eft s of these items would be larceny-theft s. 

In the 30-year period the arrest rate for motor vehicle theft peaked 

in 1989, as it did for larceny-theft ( gure 29). Between its relative 

low level in 1983 and its peak in 1989, the motor vehicle theft arrest 

rate increased 81%. Aft er 1989 the arrest rate generally declined, 

with some years of stability from the late-1990s to the mid-2000s. 

By 2009, the motor vehicle theft arrest rate fell 71% from its peak in 

1989 to its lowest level in the 30-year period, and to a level less than 

half of what it was in 1980. 

From 1980 to 2009, the relative involvement of females in motor 

vehicle theft arrests increased ( gure 30). In 1980, 9% of motor 

vehicle theft arrests were female arrests; by 2009 this proportion had 

increased to 18%. Th is change occurred due to the larger decline in 

male arrests over the period. Between 1980 and 1989 both the male 

and the female arrest rates for motor vehicle theft increased, although 

the increase in the arrest rate was greater for females (up 79%) than 

for males (up 49%). From 1989 to 2005, while the male arrest rate 

declined 51%, the female arrest rate for motor vehicle theft remained 

relatively constant (down 6%). From 2005 to 2009, rates for both 

males (up 47%) and females (down 46%) declined similarly. Overall, 

between 1980 and 2009 the male arrest rate for motor vehicle theft 

dropped 61%, while the female rate fell 9%. In 2009 the male arrest 

rate for motor vehicle theft was well below its level 30 years earlier, 

while the female arrest rates in 1980 and 2009 were similar.

Th e juvenile portion of motor vehicle theft arrests declined 

substantially between 1980 and 2009 ( gure 31). In 1980, 45% of 

all arrests for motor vehicle theft were juvenile arrests; by 2009 this 

proportion had fallen to 24%. Th e juvenile and the adult arrest rate 

trends for motor vehicle theft followed a similar overall pattern over 

the 30-year period, although the changes in the juvenile arrest rate 

were more dramatic. From 1983 to their peak in 1989, both arrest 

rates increased, but the increase in the rate was greater for juveniles 

(122%) than for adults (62%). From 1989 to 2009, both rates declined 

substantially; the adult rate declined 64%, and the juvenile rate 

declined 82%. In 2009, both the juvenile and the adult arrest rates for 

motor vehicle theft were at their lowest levels in the 30-year period; 

however, because the juvenile rate (down 73%) declined more than 

the adult rate (down 43%) did between 1980 and 2009, the juvenile 

portion of all motor vehicle theft arrests was cut nearly in half. 

In 2009, 61% of motor vehicle theft arrests were white arrests, 36% 

were black arrests, and the other 3% were AIAN and API arrests 

( gure 32). Th e motor vehicle theft arrest rate for each race was at 

its lowest level in the 30-year period in 2009. Th e white and black 

arrest rates both peaked in 1989. Th e period from 1989 to 2009 saw 

large declines in both the white (down 68%) and black (down 77%) 

arrest rates. Th roughout this period the black arrest rate for motor 

vehicle theft averaged four times the white arrest rate.

FIGURE 29

Motor vehicle theft arrest rates

0

20

40

60

80

100

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 30

Motor vehicle theft arrest rates, by sex

Female*4

Male

0

50

100

150

200

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 31

Motor vehicle theft arrest rates, by age 

group

Adult

Juvenile

0

30

60

90

120

150

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 32

Motor vehicle theft arrest rates, by race

API*3

AIAN*2

Black

White*2

0

100

200

300

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000
SEPTEMBER 2011 11

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Weapon law violations

Th e UCR defi nes weapon law violations as violations of laws 

or ordinances that prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase, 

transportation, possession, concealment, or use of fi rearms, cutting 

instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly 

weapons. Attempts to violate these laws are included. 

Th e UCR’s hierarchy rule classifi es an arrest into this category 

only when the weapon law violation is the most serious charge in 

the arrest. Arrests for murder with a fi rearm, rape with a deadly 

weapon, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a weapon, or 

carjacking with a gun (even though these crimes involve a weapon) 

would not be classifi ed as a weapon law violation arrest in the UCR 

arrest statistics.

Th e arrest rate for weapon law violations increased 38% between 

1980 and 1993 ( gure 33). Th e arrest rate then fell from its 1993 

peak, and by 2000 it reached a level 23% below that of 1980. While 

the arrest rate increased moderately in the middle of the following 

decade, it never returned to the level of 1980. It reached its lowest 

level of the 30-year period in 2009, 46% below its peak in 1993 and 

26% below its 1980 level. 

On average, from 1980 through 2009, 92% of all weapon law 

violation arrests were male arrests, with little year-to-year change 

( gure 34). While the male arrest rate for weapon law violations 

was an average of 12 times greater than the female arrest rate, the 

male and female arrest rate trends roughly paralleled each other 

over the period. Both increased aft er 1980, peaked in the mid1990s, and declined so that by 2009 the male and female arrest rates 

for weapon law violations were at their lowest levels in 30 years.

Over the 30-year period 20% of all weapon law violation arrests 

were juvenile arrests ( gure 35). Th e annual proportion varied 

from 14% to 24%. While the adult arrest rate grew 22% between 

1980 and 1993, the juvenile rate increase was 5 times greater (up 

120%). Between 1993 and 2009 both rates declined. Th e adult rate 

fell so signifi cantly that it ended the period in 2009 at 34% below 

its 1980 level. Th e decline in the juvenile arrest rate for weapon law 

violations erased almost all of its earlier increase, ending the 30-

year period 10% above its 1980 level. 

In 2009, 58% of weapon law violation arrests were white arrests, 

41% were black arrests and the remaining arrests were AIAN and 

API arrests ( gure 36). Th ese percentages translated into a black 

arrest rate that was 4 times greater than the white rate in 2009. Th is 

ratio remained relatively constant throughout the period, except for 

the years from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s. During this time, 

the black arrest rate for weapon law violations increased more than 

the white arrest rate did, resulting in a ratio of 5 black arrests to 

1 white arrest. In 2009 the weapon law violation arrest rate for each 

racial group was at or near its lowest level in the 30-year period. 

0

40

80

120

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 33

Weapon law violation arrest rates

Female*10

Male

50

100

150

200

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 34

Weapon law violation arrest rates, by sex

Adult

Juvenile

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 35

Weapon law violation arrest rates, by age 

group

API*5

AIAN*3

Black

White*4

0

100

200

300

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 36

Weapon law violation arrest rates, by race
12 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Drug abuse violations

Th e UCR defi nes drug abuse violations as violations of laws that 

prohibit the production, importation, distribution, possession, or use 

of certain controlled substances (marijuana, opium, and cocaine and 

their derivatives, and synthetic narcotics). Th e UCR divides drug abuse 

violation arrests into two general categories: (1) possession or use, and 

(2) sale or manufacture. From 1980 to 2009, both the number and 

the relative proportion of these two drug arrest categories changed 

substantially. It is important to view the two types of arrests both 

separately and in relation to each other to understand the pattern of drug 

arrests in the U.S.

Overall, between 1980 and 2009, the arrest rate for drug possession or 

use more than doubled in the U.S. ( gure 37). Th is arrest rate increased 

substantially in the 1980s, up 89% between 1980 and 1989. It declined 

over the next two years and then resumed its gradual increase, reaching 

its peak for the 30-year period in 2006, 162% above its 1980 level. Th en 

the rate declined between 2006 and 2009, resulting in an overall increase 

of 122% from 1980 to 2009.

From 1980 to 1989, the increase in the arrest rate for drug sale or 

manufacture (210%) was twice as great as the increase in the rate for 

drug possession or use (89%) ( gure 41). While the drug possession or 

use arrest rate continued to increase, the drug sale or manufacture arrest 

rate was nearly cut in half (down 43% over the next 20 years). As a result, 

the drug sale or manufacture arrest rate in 2009 was 77% above its 1980 

level.

Th e diff ering arrest rate trends can be seen in the changing proportion 

of all drug abuse violation arrests that were for drug sale or manufacture. 

In 1980, 22% of all drug abuse violation arrests were for drug sale or 

manufacture. Th is proportion reached its peak in 1991 at 36%. As the 

arrests for drug sale or manufacture fell and arrests for drug possession 

or use increased, the proportion of drug sale or manufacture arrests 

declined to 19% in 2009. About 4 of 5 drug abuse violation arrests in the 

U.S. in 2009 were for drug possession or use.

In 1980, 13% of all arrests for drug possession or use were female arrests 

( gure 38). Th is proportion increased to 19% in 2009. Both the male and 

female arrest rate trends for drug possession or use generally mirrored 

the overall trend described above; however, between 1980 and 2009, 

while the male arrest rate doubled (up 104%), the female arrest rate for 

drug possession or use tripled (up 225%).

In 1980, 14% of all arrests for drug sale/manufacture were female arrests 

( gure 42). Th is proportion increased to 17% in 2009. Both the male 

and female arrest rates for drug sale or manufacture doubled between 

1980 and 1989, with increases of 205% and 237%. Over the next 20 years, 

both rates declined, although the female rate fell less. As a result, the male 

arrest rate for drug sale or manufacture in 2009 was 68% above its 1980 

level, while the female rate was 123% above its 1980 level.

Juvenile and adult arrest trends for drug possession or use diff ered over 

the 30-year period ( gure 39). Between 1980 and 1989 the adult arrest 

rate for drug possession or use doubled (up 113%), while the juvenile 

arrest rate fell (down 25%). Both rates fell in the next two years and then 

rose substantially. Between 1991 and 1997 the adult arrest rate increased 

FIGURE 37

Drug possession/use arrest rates

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 38

Drug possession/use arrest rates, by sex

Female*4

Male

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 39

Drug possession/use arrest rates, by age group

Adult

Juvenile*2

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 40

Drug possession/use arrest rates, by race

API*6

AIAN*2

Black

White*2

0

300

600

900

1,200

1,500

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000
SEPTEMBER 2011 13

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

63%, while the juvenile arrest rate for drug possession or use increased a 

remarkable 250%. In 1980, 21% of all drug possession or use arrests were 

juvenile arrests; by 1991 this proportion had fallen to 7%. Although the 

juvenile proportion of arrests increased to 14% in 1997, it was still far 

from its 1980 level. Th e growth the overall arrest rate for drug possession 

or use between the late 1990s and the peak in 2006 was due in an 

increase in adult arrests; the juvenile arrest rate did not increase during 

this period. Overall, between 1980 and 2009, while the juvenile arrest 

rate for drug possession or use grew 33%, the adult arrest rate increased 

138%. In 2009, 11% of all arrests for drug possession or use were juvenile 

arrests. 

In contrast to the trends in drug possession or use arrests, the juvenile 

and adult arrest trends for drug sale or manufacture were more similar 

over the 30-year period ( gure 43). Juveniles were involved in an average 

of 10% of all arrests for drug sale or manufacture. Th e proportion 

increased somewhat in the mid-1990s to a high of 13% in 1996. Th e 

arrest rates for drug sale or manufacture increased substantially for both 

juveniles (up 163%) and adults (up 210%) between 1980 and 1989. Th e 

adult rate fell gradually aft er its 1989 peak through 2009, dropping a 

total of 43%. Over this same period the juvenile arrest rate for drug sale 

or manufacture declined a total of 50%; however, unlike the adult trend, 

the juvenile arrest rate experienced a temporary increase during the 

mid-1990s before continuing its downward slide. Over the entire 30-year 

period from 1980 to 2009, the increase in the arrest rate for drug sale or 

manufacture was greater for adults (up 77%) than for juveniles (up 31%), 

a pattern consistent with that of drug possession or use. 

In 1980 the black arrest rate for drug possession or use was about twice 

the white arrest rate; by 1989 the disparity had increased to 4 black 

arrests to 1 white arrest ( gure 40). Between 1980 and 1989, the white 

arrest rate for drug possession or use increased 56%, while the increase 

in the black arrest rate was four times greater (up 219%). Both the white 

and black rates declined in 1990 and 1991; aft erwards both generally 

increased. By 2009 the black rate had reached a level near that of 1989 

and was 205% above its 1980 level. In contrast, aft er 1991, the white 

arrest rate quickly surpassed its 1989 level and continued to increase 

so that by 2009 it had reached a level 102% above its 1980 level. In all, 

during the 30-year period from 1980 to 2009, the white arrest rate of 

drug possession or use doubled and the black arrest rate tripled. Th e 

black arrest rate ended the period at 3 times the white arrest rate.

Overall, the racial disparity in arrests for drug sale or manufacture was 

greater than for drug possession or use. In 1980, the black arrest rate was 

about 4 times greater than the white rate ( gure 44). Th e large increase 

in these arrests between 1980 and 1989 was disproportionately the result 

of increases in black arrests. Over this 10-year period, the white arrest 

rate for drug sale or manufacture increased 127%, while the black arrest 

rate increased 363%. In 1989 more than half (52%) of all persons arrested 

for drug sale or manufacture were black. Both white and black arrest 

rates for drug sale or manufacture declined aft er 1989. Between 1989 and 

2009, the decline in the rate was greater for blacks (59%) than for whites 

(27%). As a result, both white and black arrest rates for drug sale or 

manufacture ended the 30-year period in 2009 substantially above their 

1980 levels (66% versus 90%). Th e black arrest rate in 2009 was about 4 

times the white rate, similar to the disparity that had existed in 1980.

FIGURE 41

Drug sale/manufacturing arrest rates

0

50

100

150

200

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 42

Drug sale/manufacturing arrest rates, by sex

Female*4

Male

0

100

200

300

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 43

Drug sale/manufacturing arrest rates, by age 

group

Adult

Juvenile*3

0

50

100

150

200

250

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000

FIGURE 44

Drug sale/manufacturing arrest rates, by race

API*10

AIAN*3

Black

White*3

0

200

400

600

800

2009200520001995199019851980

Arrests/100,000
14 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Methodology

Th e Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) 

Division of the FBI provided the Bureau of Justice 

Statistics (BJS) with the set of annual Age, Sex, and 

Race (ASR) Arrest Master Files for the years 1980 

through 2009. Each of these annual fi les holds counts 

of the reported arrests from each law enforcement 

agency that submitted its arrest data for the complete 

12-month period. Th e fi les also contain an estimate of the 

population served by each agency. Th e FBI classifi es law 

enforcement agencies into nine population groups based 

on the estimated annual population and the nature of the 

community that the agency serves. 

Over the 30-year period, on average, 61% of law 

enforcement agencies in the UCR annually reported 

complete 12-month arrest counts. Over the 30-year 

period, the 12-month reporters served an average of 79% 

of the U.S. resident population. Th e population coverage 

was greater than the proportion of agencies reporting 

because larger agencies reported at a higher rate than 

smaller agencies did. On average, over the 30-year period, 

agencies annually reported 80% of all arrests estimated to 

have occurred in the U.S. Th e estimation procedures used 

in this bulletin were designed to develop the off ense and 

demographic attributes of the 20% of arrests that the FBI 

estimated occurred in the nonreporting law enforcement 

agencies. An assessment of the coverage of the annual 

samples can be found in table 2.

In the fi rst step of the estimation process, the annual 

12-month arrest counts were summed for all law 

enforcement agencies within each of the nine 

population groups. Two tables were produced for each 

population group with arrest counts at the most detailed 

demographic levels supported by the data. Th ese two 

table shells were—

 Off ense (in 33 off ense categories) by age of arrestee (in 

22 age groups) by sex (in two categories—male and 

female)

 Off ense (using 33 off ense categories) by age of arrestee 

(in two age categories—juvenile and adult) and race (in 

four race categories—white, black, AIAN, and API).

Next, the cells in these 18 tables (i.e., two shells for each 

of nine strata) were each weighted by a factor equal to 

the total population of all law enforcement agencies in 

the population group divided by the population of all 

reporting law enforcement agencies in the population 

group. Th en, the nine Off ense by Age by Sex tables were 

combined into one table, as were the nine Off ense by Age 

by Race tables. Finally, the cells in these two tables were 

each multiplied by the ratio of the FBI’s annual national 

off ense-specifi c arrest estimate divided by the sum of 

all cells in the table with that off ense. Th is transformed 

each of these table cells into a national estimate for that 

cell’s demographic subgroup. Th is process made all of 

the annual arrest count estimates for the subgroups 

internally consistent with the FBI’s published national 

estimates. Arrest rates were calculated using national 

resident populations estimates for the various subgroups 

developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National 

Center for Health Statistics.

UCR counting rules

Less than half of all victims of violent and property 

crimes reported their crimes to law enforcement in 2009. 

For crimes known to law enforcement, less than half of 

violent crimes and less than a fi ft h of property crimes 

were cleared by arrest. Th erefore, the annual number of 

arrests underestimates substantially the number of crimes 

committed. In addition, arrest trends cannot be assumed 

to parallel crime trends. Only if the many factors that 

infl uence arrest rates (e.g., victim reporting rates, crime 

clearance rates) were to remain constant over time, could 

trends in arrests be used to infer trends in crime.

Finally, an annual arrest count should not be interpreted 

as the number of persons arrested in the year. Arrests 

could only be interpreted as a count of persons arrested 

if every person arrested in the year were arrested only 

once in the year—which is clearly untrue. In the end, the 

most appropriate way to interpret arrest statistics was as 

a measure of the fl ow of matters into law enforcement 

agencies. 

Readers should be aware of some nuances of the counting 

rules used by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting 

Program (UCR) to interpret properly arrest statistics:

The hierarchy rule: Th e FBI requires law enforcement 

agencies to apply an off ense hierarchy rule when 

reporting arrests. Th at is, if a person is arrested and 

charged with multiple off enses (e.g., robbery and 

possession of a weapon), the arrest is reported to the 

UCR as a single arrest for the most serious charge (in 

this case, robbery). As a result, more arrests are made 

for most crimes (e.g., weapon law violations) than are 

refl ected in the UCR statistics.

A single arrest for multiple crimes: A single arrest 

can cover many separate criminal acts. For example, a 

person may be arrested once and charged with stealing 

fi ve automobiles over a period of several weeks. Th e UCR 

arrest statistic would be one arrest for motor vehicle theft .

Multiple arrests for a single crime: A single crime 

can result in multiple arrests. If three juveniles steal an 

automobile and all are arrested, the UCR arrest statistics 

would show three arrests for motor vehicle theft .
SEPTEMBER 2011 15 PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 2 Characteristics of annual reporting samples, 1980–2009 Proportion of agencies reporting Proportion of population covered by reporting agencies Population group Population group Reported arrests Estimated arrests* Percent reported Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total 1980 77 % 86% 86 % 82 % 77 % 56 % 32 % 44 % 50 % 51 % 82% 86 % 85 % 82 % 77 % 60 % 37 % 58 % 79 % 75 % 8,270,476 10,458,260 79 % 1981 75 92 87 88 87 75 45 58 58 64 82 92 87 88 87 78 53 69 80 81 9,362,366 10,856,260 86 1982 91 87 87 85 81 70 42 53 56 61 94 87 87 85 81 72 49 66 78 81 10,060,759 12,147,490 83 1983 93 98 88 93 89 77 46 60 57 66 96 98 88 93 89 79 54 72 80 86 10,286,124 11,714,490 88 1984 90 95 90 86 81 76 48 60 56 65 94 95 90 86 80 77 55 74 83 84 10,059,237 11,585,560 87 1985 93 95 91 91 89 79 50 61 60 68 95 95 92 91 89 81 57 74 82 86 10,544,668 11,958,260 88 1986 92 94 87 87 85 74 45 59 58 64 94 95 87 87 85 76 53 71 83 84 10,732,546 12,487,600 86 1987 90 92 87 83 83 74 46 57 58 64 94 92 87 83 83 76 53 70 82 83 10,794,480 12,725,150 85 1988 81 89 82 81 79 73 48 55 50 62 86 89 83 81 79 74 52 70 71 78 10,315,887 13,826,100 74 1989 87 88 84 80 81 74 51 59 53 65 91 88 84 80 82 75 55 71 74 80 11,208,082 14,357,170 78 1990 86 86 91 88 84 78 52 56 51 66 86 86 91 88 85 79 58 71 79 82 11,729,600 14,217,170 82 1991 84 84 81 77 78 70 50 54 47 61 91 83 81 77 78 71 55 66 69 76 11,097,120 14,230,290 78 1992 92 97 88 88 82 74 52 59 53 65 96 97 89 88 83 76 56 72 84 85 12,372,325 14,093,530 87 1993 97 92 86 81 78 69 49 53 47 60 98 93 86 82 78 71 52 69 82 83 11,917,352 14,050,410 84 1994 91 93 85 81 77 70 49 55 51 61 89 93 85 81 77 71 52 68 78 80 11,960,839 14,662,960 81 1995 88 92 82 77 72 64 47 52 48 58 92 93 82 77 73 66 49 65 78 79 12,060,749 15,131,630 79 1996 78 82 76 77 74 67 47 50 44 57 86 81 75 76 75 69 51 65 67 74 11,417,585 15,172,910 75 1997 83 83 76 76 70 62 44 47 38 54 89 83 76 76 71 64 48 62 64 73 11,599,171 15,290,920 75 1998 82 79 75 75 70 64 44 50 45 55 89 78 75 75 71 65 46 62 63 72 11,244,670 14,533,620 77 1999 82 80 73 73 70 64 43 48 44 54 88 79 74 73 70 65 46 62 63 72 10,661,714 14,053,000 74 2000 79 82 78 73 72 65 44 49 38 54 88 83 78 73 72 66 47 63 63 73 10,704,365 13,985,979 76 2001 81 85 78 77 72 66 46 49 38 55 90 85 78 77 72 67 49 68 69 76 10,762,319 13,703,209 78 2002 82 84 80 82 76 71 47 52 40 58 76 85 81 82 77 73 51 70 75 76 10,452,203 13,750,337 75 2003 76 84 80 78 79 72 51 53 43 60 71 85 79 79 79 73 54 72 74 75 10,324,531 13,646,642 75 2004 76 80 79 81 78 72 49 53 45 60 71 81 79 82 78 74 51 72 75 75 10,542,956 13,941,625 75 2005 81 82 84 81 79 74 53 52 42 61 75 83 84 81 79 76 56 76 75 77 10,910,547 14,097,950 77 2006 83 83 84 83 78 74 52 51 43 60 76 83 84 83 78 75 54 71 71 76 10,906,252 14,382,852 75 2007 89 80 85 83 80 78 53 54 45 63 79 80 86 84 80 79 57 75 71 78 11,128,552 14,211,541 78 2008 88 83 85 82 81 80 51 52 42 62 79 83 85 82 81 81 57 74 74 79 11,098,859 14,007,265 79 2009 87 84 86 84 83 81 54 56 45 64 79 84 86 84 82 82 61 79 77 80 11,062,559 13,689,216 80 Average 85 % 87 % 83 % 82 % 79 % 71 % 48 % 54 % 48 % 61 % 87 % 87 % 83 % 82 % 79 % 73 % 52 % 69 % 75 % 79 % 80 % *Arrests estimated developed by the FBI and found in the Crime in the United States series. Group 1—All cities 250,000 or over Group 2—Cities from 100,000 through 249,000 Group 3—Cities from 50,000 through 99,000 Group 4—Cities from 25,000 through 49,999 Group 5—Cities from 10,000 through 24,999 Group 6—Cities from 2,500 through 10,000 Group 7—Cities less than 2,500 Group 8—Non-Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) counties Group 9—MSA counties
16 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 3 Estimated arrests, by age, 2009 All Persons Total all ages Ages under 18 Ages 18 and over Age less than 10 10–12 13–14 15 16 17 18 19 Total 13,689,216 1,906,587 11,782,629 12,323 103,941 393,223 370,824 476,566 549,709 659,865 686,789 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 12,418 1,170 11,248 1 14 94 184 358 519 867 785 Forcible rape 21,407 3,114 18,293 16 221 754 595 666 863 1,075 1,024 Robbery 126,725 31,682 95,043 39 716 4,993 6,518 8,893 10,522 11,858 10,098

Aggravated assault 421,215 49,925 371,290 450 3,863 10,836 9,417 11,956 13,403 15,929 16,472

Simple assault 1,319,458 219,670 1,099,788 2,187 20,851 57,940 42,738 48,376 47,578 44,058 44,846

Property

Burglary 299,351 74,777 224,574 621 4,208 15,547 14,819 18,481 21,100 24,575 21,087

Larceny-theft 1,334,933 317,669 1,017,264 1,624 18,699 67,201 61,219 79,742 89,184 92,832 78,434Motor vehicle theft 81,797 19,907 61,890 33 404 3,481 4,526 5,659 5,804 5,734 4,752Arson 12,204 5,339 6,865 278 977 1,901 873 746 565 535 458

Forgery and counterfeiting 85,844 2,141 83,703 10 62 209 292 516 1,052 2,635 3,697

Fraud 210,255 6,152 204,103 42 157 819 943 1,617 2,574 5,077 6,554

Embezzlement 17,920 607 17,313 0 9 32 41 147 378 878 1,157

Stolen property off enses 105,303 18,737 86,566 72 698 3,328 3,794 4,922 5,924 6,936 6,476

Vandalism 270,439 90,462 179,977 1,541 8,987 24,307 16,961 19,471 19,194 18,052 14,930

Drug

Drug abuse violations 1,663,582 170,318 1,493,264 190 3,072 23,687 29,110 45,407 68,852 105,879 107,792

Drug sale/manufacturing 310,505 24,998 285,506 30 401 3,369 4,181 6,649 10,369 15,404 17,158

Drug possession/use 1,353,077 145,319 1,207,758 161 2,671 20,318 24,929 38,758 58,483 90,475 90,634

Other

Weapon law violations 166,334 33,871 132,463 522 2,705 7,282 6,077 7,787 9,499 11,123 9,912

Prostitution and commercialized vice 71,355 1,354 70,001 6 20 138 257 348 585 1,999 2,895Other sex off enses 77,326 13,446 63,880 267 1,754 4,430 2,282 2,224 2,487 3,064 3,068

Gambling 10,360 1,780 8,580 1 8 189 308 518 757 756 748Off enses against family and children 114,564 4,462 110,102 45 293 923 901 1,068 1,232 2,153 2,269

Driving under the infl uence 1,440,409 13,488 1,426,921 65 23 202 567 3,034 9,597 28,655 40,612

Liquor laws 570,333 110,319 460,014 130 788 9,141 16,190 30,961 53,109 96,807 106,765

Drunkenness 594,300 13,846 580,454 84 126 1,389 2,153 3,326 6,770 16,043 18,880

Disorderly conduct 655,322 170,128 485,194 985 14,096 45,971 35,548 38,083 35,446 30,454 26,728

Vagrancy 33,388 2,725 30,663 8 63 587 736 708 624 1,769 1,451Suspicion 1,975 220 1,755 10 19 31 34 59 67 123 126

Curfew and loitering law violations 112,593 112,593 0 346 4,252 23,201 25,315 32,063 27,417 0 0Runaways 93,434 93,434 0 613 4,393 23,901 23,516 25,906 15,104 0 0

All other o enses except tra c 3,764,672 323,251 3,441,421 2,135 12,466 60,710 64,911 83,525 99,503 130,000 154,772

Population 307,006,550 74,548,215 232,458,335 41,909,290 11,844,122 8,129,442 4,133,735 4,224,842 4,306,784 4,388,610 4,483,866

Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
SEPTEMBER 2011 17 PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 3 (continued) Estimated arrests, by age, 2009 All Persons Age 20 21 22 23 24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 or older Total 635,599 570,422 524,708 494,357 466,536 1,989,152 1,411,490 1,177,780 1,070,291 953,188 607,130 297,409 132,844 105,069 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 764 738 604 558 539 2,103 1,224 872 684 598 388 213 157 154 Forcible rape 950 925 772 743 609 2,905 2,425 2,104 1,735 1,321 799 447 260 199 Robbery 8,083 6,484 5,537 4,819 4,043 15,481 8,931 6,788 5,640 4,083 2,031 776 258 134 Aggravated assault 16,201 16,768 15,774 15,607 14,832 66,644 48,843 39,916 35,815 31,126 19,397 9,580 4,457 3,928 Simple assault 45,188 48,760 46,742 45,470 44,301 197,542 148,180 126,590 111,488 93,995 55,154 25,533 11,868 10,073 Property Burglary 16,265 13,572 11,298 9,936 8,863 36,572 23,419 18,666 16,409 12,851 6,840 2,712 959 549 Larceny-theft 63,130 52,606 44,840 40,397 37,476 153,960 107,962 93,197 86,892 75,749 47,509 23,085 10,662 8,531 Motor vehicle theft 3,891 3,368 3,007 2,787 2,531 10,829 7,708 6,084 4,983 3,524 1,682 666 220 125 Arson 389 308 318 251 227 1,009 723 618 570 637 385 223 115 99 Forgery and counterfeiting 4,068 3,636 3,519 3,531 3,572 16,731 12,758 9,987 7,919 5,882 3,374 1,479 579 336 Fraud 7,433 6,911 7,059 6,895 6,992 35,578 30,580 28,069 23,508 17,874 11,073 5,565 2,816 2,118 Embezzlement 1,045 997 823 689 740 2,823 2,035 1,892 1,497 1,248 778 408 194 110 Stolen property off enses 5,488 4,743 4,172 3,928 3,451 15,102 10,666 8,390 7,310 5,218 2,816 1,127 451 292 Vandalism 12,027 11,498 9,759 8,720 7,986 30,497 19,334 14,218 12,130 10,271 5,764 2,626 1,176 990 DrugDrug abuse violations 96,475 84,363 75,867 70,760 65,576 269,507 174,623 131,473 113,911 97,867 59,497 26,165 9,311 4,197 Drug sale/manufacturing 16,495 15,002 14,111 13,532 13,027 55,614 38,116 27,408 21,842 17,962 11,365 5,139 2,193 1,140 Drug possession/use 79,979 69,361 61,757 57,228 52,549 213,894 136,508 104,066 92,069 79,905 48,133 21,025 7,118 3,057 Other Weapon law violations 8,762 8,120 7,254 6,656 6,145 24,488 14,667 10,219 8,264 6,951 4,747 2,589 1,415 1,150 Prostitution and commercialized vice 2,967 2,810 2,863 2,751 2,425 11,388 8,984 9,201 8,822 6,634 3,563 1,458 648 594 Other sex off enses 2,716 2,602 2,300 2,049 1,968 8,448 7,016 6,916 6,769 6,218 4,360 2,689 1,694 2,003 Gambling 687 493 420 341 299 1,146 644 603 520 602 425 373 248 276 Off enses against family and children 2,538 3,152 3,200 3,510 3,824 20,124 19,179 17,388 13,791 10,228 5,282 2,060 829 574 Driving under the infl uence 46,343 65,737 66,596 65,167 62,630 262,573 181,988 152,674 137,792 131,132 90,204 50,554 25,978 18,287 Liquor laws 86,605 13,862 9,603 7,821 6,457 24,713 17,957 17,026 19,622 21,973 16,108 8,517 3,739 2,440 Drunkenness 18,641 26,625 23,952 22,612 21,186 88,217 64,545 58,758 64,364 68,699 49,199 23,863 9,521 5,348 Disorderly conduct 24,684 29,403 25,808 22,675 20,206 79,103 52,341 43,146 41,311 40,382 26,124 12,833 5,605 4,391 Vagrancy 1,200 1,048 847 793 708 3,101 2,642 2,963 3,716 4,287 3,324 1,719 710 386 Suspicion 99 105 95 83 76 304 186 180 127 109 74 42 16 10 Curfew and loitering law violations 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Runaways 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All other o enses except tra c 158,960 160,788 151,679 144,807 138,874 608,264 441,930 369,842 334,702 293,730 186,233 90,106 38,960 37,775 Population 4,340,019 4,291,377 4,265,915 4,306,480 4,335,768 21,677,719 19,888,603 20,538,351 20,991,605 22,831,092 21,761,391 18,975,026 15,811,923 39,570,590 Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
18 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 4 Estimated male arrests, by age, 2009 Male arrest rates Total all ages Ages under 18 Ages 18 and over Age less than 10 10–12 13–14 15 16 17 18 19 Total 10,231,953 1,328,066 8,903,887 10,038 74,728 262,383 249,726 331,902 399,290 494,700 515,173 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 11,109 1,084 10,025 1 12 86 173 323 489 818 727 Forcible rape 21,114 3,052 18,062 15 209 736 584 656 853 1,063 1,009 Robbery 111,750 28,514 83,237 39 636 4,387 5,835 8,054 9,562 10,753 9,111

Aggravated assault 328,783 37,613 291,169 384 3,057 7,831 6,798 9,003 10,540 12,681 12,970Simple assault 976,422 144,656 831,766 1,824 15,086 36,862 27,132 31,433 32,318 30,978 31,698

Property

Burglary 254,991 66,247 188,744 550 3,714 13,687 13,006 16,504 18,786 21,746 18,476Larceny-theft 754,598 173,339 581,259 1,145 11,117 37,203 32,924 42,710 48,241 51,435 43,607Motor vehicle theft 67,279 16,544 50,735 30 323 2,691 3,678 4,789 5,033 4,970 4,078Arson 10,124 4,627 5,497 260 867 1,631 737 641 490 479 396Forgery and counterfeiting 53,505 1,503 52,003 6 47 155 198 381 715 1,689 2,316

Fraud 119,337 4,004 115,333 25 115 522 617 1,056 1,668 3,264 4,114Embezzlement 8,801 349 8,451 0 8 22 27 80 213 456 543Stolen property off enses 83,354 15,196 68,159 56 546 2,599 3,029 4,045 4,921 5,750 5,348Vandalism 221,620 78,107 143,513 1,388 7,697 20,934 14,729 16,862 16,496 15,404 12,391

Drug

Drug abuse violations 1,353,351 143,635 1,209,716 160 2,451 19,018 24,179 38,624 59,202 90,247 90,950

Drug sale/manufacturing 256,986 21,782 235,204 23 333 2,784 3,577 5,859 9,206 13,411 14,704Drug possession/use 1,096,365 121,853 974,512 137 2,118 16,234 20,602 32,765 49,996 76,835 76,246

Other

Weapon law violations 152,827 30,327 122,500 454 2,365 6,264 5,456 7,032 8,756 10,478 9,340Prostitution and commercialized vice 21,669 296 21,373 4 18 39 38 72 125 256 462

Other sex off enses 70,493 12,033 58,460 234 1,580 3,968 1,998 1,997 2,255 2,743 2,727Gambling 9,164 1,731 7,433 1 8 187 301 501 732 701 678Off enses against family and children 85,731 2,858 82,872 31 201 590 503 708 825 1,521 1,558Driving under the infl uence 1,114,374 10,154 1,104,221 52 15 135 399 2,272 7,282 21,903 31,150Liquor laws 406,666 67,839 338,827 95 378 4,640 9,096 19,009 34,620 65,288 74,274Drunkenness 495,121 10,322 484,799 68 63 833 1,471 2,503 5,385 12,969 15,322Disorderly conduct 479,247 113,558 365,689 820 9,754 29,232 23,106 25,522 25,124 22,518 19,781Vagrancy 26,251 1,966 24,285 8 35 407 523 504 490 1,392 1,050

Suspicion 1,426 172 1,254 6 18 23 27 47 51 102 96Curfew and loitering law violations 78,011 78,011 0 254 2,922 15,230 16,932 22,688 19,985 0 0Runaways 41,858 41,858 0 423 2,312 10,081 10,093 11,815 7,134 0 0

All other o enses except tra c 2,872,977 238,471 2,634,506 1,704 9,174 42,388 46,138 62,069 76,998 103,097 121,000

Population 151,449,490 38,138,171 113,311,319 21,422,908 6,059,134 4,163,388 2,117,861 2,167,729 2,207,151 2,252,674 2,305,874

Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
SEPTEMBER 2011 19 PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 4 (continued) Estimated male arrests, by age, 2009 Male arrest rates Age 20 21 22 23 24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 years or older Total 477,236 432,524 397,854 373,197 351,952 1,501,162 1,057,786 869,850 794,442 723,794 480,352 242,564 108,984 82,316 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 710 663 549 510 483 1,879 1,062 764 546 508 328 190 143 143 Forcible rape 932 904 768 729 601 2,866 2,403 2,074 1,711 1,311 793 439 260 199 Robbery 7,230 5,750 4,856 4,188 3,502 13,336 7,636 5,772 4,777 3,502 1,779 695 230 119 Aggravated assault 12,520 13,071 12,282 12,164 11,493 52,323 38,208 30,817 27,527 24,293 15,567 8,043 3,800 3,409 Simple assault 31,937 35,423 34,198 33,635 33,103 150,162 113,643 96,126 84,965 72,917 44,073 20,764 9,754 8,390 Property Burglary 14,016 11,509 9,619 8,352 7,408 30,107 18,953 15,088 13,531 10,683 5,782 2,258 785 431 Larceny-theft 34,954 29,243 24,803 22,067 20,276 85,211 60,224 53,957 52,931 47,219 29,859 14,236 6,245 4,992 Motor vehicle theft 3,235 2,829 2,467 2,275 2,047 8,547 6,150 4,888 4,062 2,895 1,413 582 193 105 Arson 342 268 254 213 183 789 559 484 414 463 306 176 96 75 Forgery and counterfeiting 2,494 2,249 2,208 2,197 2,176 10,291 7,664 6,043 4,841 3,784 2,299 1,074 408 268 Fraud 4,484 4,160 4,119 3,957 3,980 19,435 16,240 14,727 12,897 10,684 6,877 3,472 1,690 1,233 Embezzlement 564 521 402 340 362 1,400 924 898 692 618 362 219 96 53 Stolen property off enses 4,439 3,739 3,223 3,050 2,655 11,503 8,156 6,483 5,749 4,174 2,325 936 379 249 Vandalism 9,846 9,289 7,775 6,995 6,334 23,995 15,076 10,761 9,265 7,903 4,569 2,141 954 816 DrugDrug abuse violations 80,883 69,836 62,838 58,144 53,674 218,946 140,246 101,768 86,080 74,535 47,807 21,961 8,075 3,728 Drug sale/manufacturing 14,163 12,594 11,895 11,338 10,817 46,109 31,427 21,834 16,909 13,693 9,197 4,260 1,865 986 Drug possession/use 66,719 57,242 50,943 46,806 42,857 172,837 108,819 79,934 69,170 60,842 38,610 17,700 6,210 2,741 Other Weapon law violations 8,191 7,568 6,760 6,168 5,709 22,682 13,478 9,286 7,417 6,269 4,366 2,384 1,331 1,072 Prostitution and commercialized vice 517 524 676 707 646 3,479 2,958 2,736 2,605 2,120 1,637 961 533 556 Other sex off enses 2,411 2,353 2,064 1,833 1,742 7,583 6,342 6,270 6,231 5,782 4,165 2,584 1,648 1,982 Gambling 599 477 401 323 277 1,057 574 502 411 466 294 280 173 217 Off enses against family and children 1,718 2,213 2,154 2,363 2,581 14,225 14,172 13,435 11,084 8,527 4,440 1,720 699 463 Driving under the infl uence 35,419 49,227 50,376 49,493 48,276 205,373 143,282 118,102 103,617 98,588 70,642 41,360 21,823 15,589 Liquor laws 61,842 10,964 7,713 6,259 5,184 19,832 14,189 13,300 15,551 17,746 13,774 7,488 3,313 2,111 Drunkenness 15,376 22,291 20,061 18,870 17,878 74,101 53,989 48,043 52,041 56,529 42,343 21,355 8,659 4,972 Disorderly conduct 18,180 22,445 19,790 17,159 15,263 59,540 38,977 31,092 30,351 30,785 20,859 10,632 4,714 3,605 Vagrancy 890 823 692 625 569 2,411 2,005 2,092 2,846 3,473 2,862 1,544 656 355 Suspicion 72 70 67 57 51 225 126 115 94 81 48 31 13 6 Curfew and loitering law violations 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Runaways 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All other o enses except tra c 123,435 124,114 116,736 110,526 105,498 459,864 330,550 274,224 252,209 227,939 150,783 75,038 32,315 27,179 Population 2,232,574 2,207,994 2,196,107 2,220,442 2,236,435 11,115,560 10,107,974 10,353,016 10,504,139 11,295,524 10,677,847 9,204,666 7,576,933 16,823,560 Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
20 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 5 Estimated female arrests, by age, 2009 Female arrests Total all ages Ages under 18 Ages 18 and over Age less than 10 10–12 13–14 15 16 17 18 19 Total 3,457,263 578,521 2,878,742 2,286 29,213 130,841 121,098 144,664 150,419 165,166 171,616 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 1,309 86 1,223 0 1 9 11 36 30 48 58 Forcible rape 293 62 231 1 12 18 11 10 10 12 15 Robbery 14,975 3,168 11,807 0 80 606 683 838 960 1,106 987

Aggravated assault 92,432 12,312 80,120 66 805 3,005 2,620 2,952 2,863 3,248 3,502

Simple assault 343,036 75,014 268,022 363 5,765 21,077 15,606 16,943 15,260 13,080 13,148

Property

Burglary 44,360 8,530 35,830 71 495 1,860 1,813 1,976 2,314 2,830 2,611

Larceny-theft 580,335 144,330 436,005 480 7,581 29,997 28,296 37,033 40,943 41,397 34,827

Motor vehicle theft 14,518 3,363 11,154 4 80 790 849 870 771 764 674Arson 2,080 712 1,368 18 109 269 136 105 75 56 62

Forgery and counterfeiting 32,339 638 31,701 4 15 54 94 134 337 946 1,380Fraud 90,918 2,148 88,770 17 42 296 326 561 906 1,813 2,440

Embezzlement 9,119 258 8,861 0 1 10 15 67 165 423 614Stolen property off enses 21,949 3,541 18,407 17 152 728 764 877 1,003 1,185 1,128Vandalism 48,819 12,355 36,464 154 1,290 3,372 2,232 2,609 2,698 2,648 2,539

Drug

Drug abuse violations 310,231 26,683 283,548 30 620 4,669 4,931 6,782 9,650 15,632 16,842

Drug sale/manufacturing 53,518 3,216 50,302 7 68 585 604 790 1,164 1,992 2,453Drug possession/use 256,712 23,466 233,246 23 553 4,084 4,327 5,992 8,487 13,640 14,388

Other

Weapon law violations 13,507 3,544 9,963 68 340 1,017 621 755 743 645 571

Prostitution and commercialized vice 49,686 1,058 48,628 3 1 99 218 277 460 1,744 2,433

Other sex off enses 6,833 1,413 5,420 33 174 463 284 227 232 322 342

Gambling 1,196 48 1,148 0 0 1 6 16 24 54 70Off enses against family and children 28,833 1,604 27,229 14 92 333 398 360 406 632 711

Driving under the infl uence 326,035 3,334 322,701 12 9 68 168 762 2,315 6,752 9,462Liquor laws 163,667 42,480 121,187 35 410 4,501 7,095 11,951 18,489 31,519 32,492

Drunkenness 99,179 3,524 95,655 16 62 556 682 823 1,385 3,074 3,559

Disorderly conduct 176,075 56,570 119,505 165 4,342 16,739 12,442 12,561 10,322 7,936 6,947

Vagrancy 7,137 759 6,378 0 28 180 213 204 134 377 401Suspicion 549 48 500 4 1 7 7 12 16 21 29

Curfew and loitering law violations 34,582 34,582 0 92 1,330 7,971 8,383 9,374 7,432 0 0

Runaways 51,576 51,576 0 190 2,081 13,820 13,423 14,091 7,970 0 0

All other o enses except tra c 891,695 84,780 806,915 432 3,292 18,322 18,773 21,456 22,505 26,902 33,772

Population 155,557,060 36,410,044 119,147,016 20,486,382 5,784,988 3,966,054 2,015,874 2,057,113 2,099,633 2,135,936 2,177,992

Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
SEPTEMBER 2011 21 PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 5 (continued) Estimated female arrests, by age, 2009 Female arrests Age 20 21 22 23 24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65 or older Total 158,362 137,897 126,854 121,160 114,584 487,990 353,704 307,930 275,849 229,394 126,778 54,845 23,860 22,753 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 54 74 54 48 56 224 162 109 138 90 60 23 14 11 Forcible rape 18 21 4 14 8 39 22 30 25 10 6 7 0 0 Robbery 853 733 680 631 541 2,144 1,295 1,015 863 582 252 81 28 15 Aggravated assault 3,681 3,697 3,492 3,443 3,339 14,321 10,635 9,098 8,288 6,833 3,831 1,537 657 519 Simple assault 13,251 13,337 12,544 11,835 11,198 47,379 34,537 30,464 26,523 21,078 11,081 4,770 2,114 1,683 Property Burglary 2,248 2,063 1,679 1,584 1,455 6,465 4,466 3,578 2,879 2,168 1,057 455 174 118 Larceny-theft 28,176 23,363 20,036 18,331 17,200 68,749 47,738 39,240 33,961 28,531 17,651 8,849 4,417 3,540 Motor vehicle theft 656 539 540 512 484 2,283 1,558 1,196 921 629 269 84 27 20 Arson 47 40 64 38 44 220 164 134 156 174 79 46 19 24 Forgery and counterfeiting 1,574 1,387 1,311 1,334 1,395 6,440 5,094 3,944 3,078 2,098 1,075 405 171 69 Fraud 2,950 2,751 2,940 2,938 3,012 16,143 14,340 13,342 10,611 7,190 4,196 2,093 1,125 885 Embezzlement 481 476 421 349 377 1,423 1,111 993 805 630 416 189 97 56 Stolen property off enses 1,049 1,004 949 879 796 3,599 2,510 1,907 1,561 1,044 490 191 72 43 Vandalism 2,182 2,209 1,984 1,725 1,652 6,502 4,258 3,457 2,865 2,367 1,195 485 221 174 DrugDrug abuse violations 15,592 14,527 13,029 12,616 11,902 50,561 34,377 29,706 27,831 23,332 11,691 4,204 1,236 469 Drug sale/manufacturing 2,332 2,407 2,215 2,194 2,209 9,505 6,689 5,574 4,933 4,269 2,168 879 328 153 Drug possession/use 13,260 12,119 10,814 10,422 9,693 41,056 27,688 24,132 22,899 19,064 9,523 3,325 908 316 Other Weapon law violations 571 552 495 488 437 1,806 1,189 933 848 682 381 205 84 78 Prostitution and commercialized vice 2,450 2,286 2,187 2,044 1,778 7,909 6,027 6,465 6,218 4,515 1,926 496 114 38 Other sex off enses 305 249 236 217 226 865 674 646 538 436 194 105 47 20 Gambling 88 16 18 18 22 89 70 100 109 136 131 93 75 59 Off enses against family and children 820 939 1,046 1,147 1,243 5,899 5,008 3,953 2,707 1,701 842 340 131 110 Driving under the infl uence 10,924 16,510 16,221 15,674 14,353 57,199 38,706 34,571 34,175 32,544 19,562 9,193 4,155 2,698 Liquor laws 24,763 2,898 1,891 1,561 1,272 4,881 3,768 3,726 4,072 4,226 2,334 1,029 426 329 Drunkenness 3,265 4,333 3,890 3,743 3,308 14,116 10,556 10,714 12,324 12,170 6,856 2,508 862 377 Disorderly conduct 6,504 6,958 6,017 5,516 4,944 19,563 13,364 12,054 10,961 9,597 5,265 2,201 891 787 Vagrancy 309 225 155 167 139 689 637 871 870 814 462 175 54 31 Suspicion 28 35 27 27 25 80 60 65 32 28 26 11 2 4 Curfew and loitering law violations 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Runaways 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All other o enses except tra c 35,525 36,674 34,943 34,281 33,376 148,401 111,380 95,618 82,493 65,791 35,450 15,068 6,645 10,596 Population 2,107,445 2,083,383 2,069,808 2,086,038 2,099,333 10,562,159 9,780,629 10,185,335 10,487,466 11,535,568 11,083,544 9,770,360 8,234,990 22,747,030 Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. The categories of off enses are based on the FBI’s classifi cation system. See Methodology for details on UCR counting rules.
22 Arrest in the United States, 1980–2009

PAT TERNS & TRENDS TABLE 6 Estimated arrests, by race and age, 2009 Race Juvenile Adult Total White Black AIAN API White Black AIAN Asian White Black AIAN Asian Total 13,689,216 9,504,857 3,831,588 190,530 162,241 1,255,604 596,511 23,936 30,536 8,249,253 3,235,077 166,594 131,705 Violent Murder and non-negligent manslaughter 12,418 6,105 6,060 128 124 473 678 10 10 5,633 5,383 118 114 Forcible rape 21,407 14,130 6,741 224 312 2,011 1,042 23 37 12,119 5,699 201 275 Robbery 126,725 54,231 70,310 908 1,276 9,790 21,369 140 383 44,441 48,941 769 893

Aggravated assault 421,215 268,727 141,375 6,048 5,066 27,732 21,065 532 596 240,994 120,310 5,515 4,470Simple assault 1,319,458 864,891 419,767 19,199 15,601 129,324 85,579 2,355 2,412 735,567 334,188 16,844 13,189

Property

Burglary 299,351 200,103 93,876 2,561 2,811 45,583 27,800 654 740 154,520 66,076 1,907 2,071Larceny-theft 1,334,933 911,287 385,862 18,309 19,475 206,270 101,138 3,937 6,324 705,017 284,724 14,373 13,151Motor vehicle theft 81,797 50,211 29,387 1,055 1,144 10,769 8,545 305 288 39,442 20,842 750 856Arson 12,204 9,162 2,749 147 146 4,098 1,093 71 77 5,064 1,656 77 69Forgery and counterfeiting 85,844 57,398 27,040 432 974 1,429 681 11 20 55,970 26,359 421 954Fraud 210,255 141,266 65,394 1,649 1,946 3,803 2,223 65 62 137,463 63,171 1,584 1,885Embezzlement 17,920 11,847 5,645 95 334 390 200 1 16 11,457 5,444 94 318Stolen property off enses 105,303 66,271 37,243 838 952 10,232 8,174 146 185 56,039 29,069 691 767Vandalism 270,439 201,643 61,522 4,249 3,025 71,023 17,285 1,079 1,075 130,620 44,237 3,171 1,950

Drug

Drug abuse violations 1,663,582 1,086,003 554,105 11,035 12,440 123,410 43,302 1,621 1,985 962,593 510,803 9,414 10,455

Drug sale/manufacturing 310,505 178,951 127,770 1,720 2,064 14,846 9,736 175 240 164,105 118,034 1,544 1,823Drug possession/use 1,353,077 907,156 426,224 9,317 10,382 108,671 33,452 1,447 1,749 798,485 392,771 7,869 8,632

Other

Weapon law violations 166,334 95,753 67,813 1,221 1,546 20,550 12,630 271 421 75,203 55,183 951 1,126Prostitution and commercialized vice 71,355 39,904 29,126 540 1,784 539 790 5 20 39,365 28,337 535 1,764Other sex off enses 77,326 56,914 18,364 915 1,133 9,591 3,544 119 192 47,323 14,820 796 941Gambling 10,360 2,986 7,030 34 310 121 1,650 0 9 2,865 5,380 34 302Off enses against family and children 114,564 77,214 34,396 2,133 821 3,305 1,069 60 28 73,909 33,327 2,073 793Driving under the infl uence 1,440,409 1,245,500 157,003 19,100 18,805 12,374 688 254 172 1,233,127 156,316 18,845 18,633Liquor laws 570,333 479,791 64,343 18,595 7,604 98,644 6,751 3,456 1,468 381,146 57,591 15,140 6,136Drunkenness 594,300 491,638 88,450 10,683 3,529 12,235 1,229 272 110 479,403 87,221 10,412 3,419Disorderly conduct 655,322 416,621 222,071 11,188 5,443 96,860 70,126 1,746 1,397 319,761 151,945 9,442 4,046

Vagrancy 33,388 18,469 14,007 665 247 1,949 746 11 19 16,520 13,262 653 228Suspicion 1,975 885 1,080 1 9 93 126 0 1 791 954 1 8

Curfew and loitering law violations 112,593 68,512 41,602 1,095 1,385 68,512 41,602 1,095 1,385 0 0 0 0

Runaways 93,434 6,085 25,073 2,080 5,196 61,085 25,073 2,080 5,196 0 0 0 0

All other o enses except tra c 3,764,672 2,506,311 1,154,155 55,404 48,802 223,410 90,314 3,618 5,910 2,282,902 1,063,841 51,786 42,892

Population 307,006,550 246,978,488 40,999,984 3,500,501 15,527,577 57,563,627 12,045,688 1,081,363 3,857,537 189,414,861 28,954,296 2,419,138 11,670,040

Note: Counts may not sum to total due to rounding. 
SEPTEMBER 2011 23

PAT TERNS & TRENDS

Announcing the 

Arrest Data Analysis Tool

This dynamic data 

analysis tool allows you 

to generate tables and 

graphs of arrests for the 

30-year period from 1980 

through 2009. You can view 

national as well as local 

arrest estimates.

ÂÂYou can select National 

Estimates or Agency-Level 

Counts. 

ÂÂYou can use the Annual Arrest Tables to view tables of 

arrests broken down by sex, race, age, or juvenile and adult 

age groups. 

ÂÂYou can select Trends by Offense, Sex and Age or Trends by 

Offense, Age Group and Race to create customized graphs 

of long-term trends.

ÂÂYou can download tables and graphs in Excel or pdf.

www.bjs.gov
Office of Justice Programs • Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods • http://www.ojp.gov

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

NCJ234319 PRESORTED 

STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/BJS

Permit No. G-91

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the U.S. Department of 

Justice. James P. Lynch is the director.

This report was written by Howard Snyder. Alexia Cooper provided statistical 

review and verification of the report.

Vanessa Curto and Jill Thomas edited the report, Barbara Quinn produced the 

report, and Jayne Robinson prepared the report for final printing under the 

supervision of Doris J. James.

September 2011, NCJ 234319

This report in PDF and in ASCII and its related statistical data and tables are available 

at the BJS website: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2203.