Data are based on the Justice Department's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The level of property crime is measured in "victimizations" — or the number of people who experience a burglary or some theft of personal property (see the panel Indexes of Crime in Chapter 1 for more on the measurement of this and other crimes).
All forms of property crime decreased significantly over the period. Total property crime fell 67.8% from 1973 to 2001. Burglaries fell 74%, theft 67%, and motor vehicle thefts fell 51.8%.
Who is most affected by property crimes? The table on the next page looks at selected demographics. Blacks still are victimized more often than whites.1 Hispanics are victimized more often than non-Hispanics. Is income a factor? One might imagine a high income would translate into a home in a safe neighborhood. But those with an income above $50,000 saw the highest levels of victimization through most of the 1990s. In 2000, property crime was spread fairly evenly over the income classes. Those making between $15,000 and $24,999 were nearly as likely to experience this sort of crime as those making $75,000 or more.
How have things changed? From 1993 to 2000, rates dropped 44% for both blacks and whites. For the lowest income class, property crime dropped 27.8%. For those making over $75,000, the crime rate dropped 50.7%.
Property Crime Rates Per 100,000 Households, 1993-2000
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | Change, 93-00-% | |
| By Race/Ethnicity | |||||||||
| Whites | 309.7 | 304.8 | 283.4 | 259.9 | 242.3 | 212.6 | 190.0 | 173.3 | -44.0 |
| Blacks | 376.6 | 347.8 | 328.8 | 310.0 | 292.0 | 248.0 | 249.9 | 212.3 | -43.6 |
| Hispanics | 429.7 | 435.9 | 385.3 | 328.1 | 329.4 | 267.6 | 232.5 | 227.0 | -47.2 |
| Non-Hispanics | 311.0 | 300.3 | 282.8 | 261.2 | 240.8 | 212.5 | 194.6 | 173.4 | -44.2 |
| By Income Level | |||||||||
| Less than $7,500 | 305.9 | 299.6 | 304.3 | 282.7 | 258.8 | 209.0 | 220.8 | 220.9 | -27.8 |
| $7,500-$14,999 | 285.9 | 299.1 | 267.1 | 247.5 | 236.3 | 229.8 | 200.1 | 167.1 | -41.6 |
| $15,000-$24,999 | 307.0 | 308.1 | 289.8 | 273.1 | 242.4 | 211.0 | 214.9 | 193.1 | -37.1 |
| $25,000-$34,999 | 336.7 | 305.2 | 294.8 | 285.1 | 260.3 | 233.8 | 199.1 | 192.2 | -42.9 |
| $35,000-$49,999 | 342.7 | 326.9 | 301.5 | 287.6 | 271.7 | 221.7 | 207.6 | 192.9 | -43.7 |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 374.4 | 364.1 | 333.2 | 284.0 | 270.9 | 248.6 | 213.6 | 181.9 | -51.1 |
| $75,000 or more | 400.3 | 356.0 | 350.4 | 304.6 | 292.8 | 248.6 | 220.4 | 197.2 | -50.7 |
What are some reasons for the improved rates? Americans seem more conscious of the need to protecting themselves and their property — and those with the most income can best afford it. Spending on security systems for homes and businesses has jumped from $14.9 billion in 1998 to $17.5 billion in 2000, according to STAT Resources Inc. SDT Magazine, a publication of the security systems market, offers a similar estimate of the industry: $18 billion. Cost is becoming less of an issue as well, with an average home security system costing about $200 to install. The economic health of the country during this period is probably the major factor: good times have generally translated into lower incidents of property crime.
Other panels in this chapter will look at these crimes in greater detail. A question that probably needs to be asked here: If most property crimes are down, have thieves simply turned to other more lucrative areas? Credit card fraud and identity thefts have become hot topics in the media in recent years. Is it now easier to steal a person's identity than his or her car or a television set? We shall see.
Source: Chart data comes from U.S. Department of Justice, retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/tables/proptrdtab.htm. Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, Criminal Victimization 2000; data from STAT-Resources comes from http://www.e-burglar-alarm-systems-home-security.com; "The Markets to Watch." Catalog Age, June 1, 2002.
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