FBI: Violent Crime Increasing In Pittsburgh, Southwestern Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH, PA - The statistics are sobering. The FBI has released its annual report on crime in the United States, and violent and other criminal offenses are up in nearly every category in Pittsburgh and the seven-county metropolitan Pittsburgh statistical area.

Although the homicide rate stayed the same in the city in 2016, murders increased in the region. The number of rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults were up in both the city and the statistical area that includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Nationally, violent crime increased for the second consecutive year. There were an estimated 17,250 murders in the nation last year, an 8.6 percent increase from 2015. Overall violent crime rose 4.1 percent last year.

The report showed there were an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes in the country last year. Though the violent crime numbers rose from 2015 to 2016, the five-year and 10-year trends show an increase from 2012 (up 2.6 percent) and a decrease from 2007 (down 12.3 percent).

Here are the statistics for Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania:

Violent crimes

• Pittsburgh

2016: 2,866
2015: 2,167

• Region

2016: 6,694
2015: 6,210

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter

• Pittsburgh

2016: 57
2015: 57

• Region

2016: 118
2015: 109

Rape

• Pittsburgh

2016: 100
2015:82

• Region

2016: 529
2015: 409

• Pittsburgh

2016: 1,000
2015: 858

• Region

2016: 1,924
2015: 1,783

Aggravated Assault

• Pittsburgh

2016: 1,209
2015: 1,170

• Region

2016: 4,123
2015: 3,909

Property Crime

• Pittsburgh

2016: 9,868
2015: 9, 859

• Region

2016: 40,207
2015: 41,434

Burglary
Pittsburgh:
2016: 1,828
2015: 2,197
Region
2016: 7,165
2015: 7,500

Larceny-theft

• Pittsburgh

2016: 7,222
2015: 7,097

• Region

2016: 31,025
2015: 32,249

Motor vehicle theft

• Pittsburgh

2016: 818
2015: 601

• Region

2016: 31,025
2015: 32,249

Arson

• Pittsburgh

2016: 153
2015: 172

• Region

2016: 2,017
2015: 1,685

Photo: Scott Davidson via Creative Commons.