Crime Data Comparison

Crime Data Comparison

Every year the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) puts out the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). This is a report that cities throughout the country can participate in voluntarily. The report that the FBI puts out covers crimes from such as violent crime, forcible rapes, robberies, assaults, and property crimes. Of all 18,000 cities that participate in the UCR (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.) Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan and Savannah, Georgia's aggravated assault numbers are going to be the main area covered.

The city that had more reported incidences of aggravated assaults was Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan. The cities, which have a combined population of 465,476, had a combined total of 1,087 aggravated assaults that were reported to the police. For the city of Lansing /East Lansing, Michigan, the police estimate that not all of the aggravated assaults that happen actually are reported to them. The police believe that the number of aggravated assaults is actually higher than the reported number and is closer to 1,131. The city of Savannah, Georgia, which has a population of 359,371, only had 537 total aggravated assaults that were reported to the police. The city of Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan had a total of 550 more aggravated assaults than Savannah, Georgia (Federal Bureau of investigation, 2012).

Each city had a vastly different rate of aggravated assaults for the year of 2012, the most current UCR that is out. The report for the rate of crime that the FBI puts out is out of 100,000 inhabitants of a specific area and the surrounding area that is served by the police force. For Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan the rate of aggravated assault per 100,000 inhabitants is 243.0 for the cities. For Savannah, Georgia the rate for aggravated assault is 149.4 out of 100,000 inhabitants. For Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan there is a total rate of 93.6 more per 100,000 inhabitants than Savannah, Georgia has (Federal Bureau of investigation, 2012).

Over the last few years from 2010 - 2012 the rate of aggravated assault has change in one of the cities. The other cities has not seen much of a change throughout the city. For Lansing, Michigan the number has dropped form 863 in 2010 to the most current reported rate of 770. The previous numbers for Lansing, Michigan did not offer the surrounding area that the police force serves in the city. For the city of Savannah, Georgia the aggravated assaults did not change form 2010 - 2012. The city has had 339 aggravated assaults. Again, this number is only for the metropolitan area of Savannah, Georgia and not the total surround area that actually reports for the UCR.

There are a number of factors that could explain the difference in the rates of crime for both the cities of Lansing/East Lansing Michigan and Savannah, Georgia. The biggest difference that could help explain the change is the unemployment rate of the