Easy Access to FBI Arrest Statistics

Aggravated assault: An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Simple assaults are excluded.
All other offenses: All violations of state and/or local laws, except those listed and traffic offenses.
Arrest rate: Arrests per 100,000 persons in the reference population. For the Total Arrest Rate, the rate is the total number of arrests for every 100,000 persons in the resident population of the U.S. The arrest rate for Persons Age 18 and Over is the number of arrests involving persons 18 years of age and over for every 100,000 persons age 18 and over in the resident population. Acknowledging that persons below the age of 10 are a very small portion of the juvenile arrestee population, the arrest rate for Persons Under Age 18 is the number of arrests of persons under age 18 for every 100,000 persons ages 10 through 17 in the resident population.
Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.
Burglary (breaking or entering): The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. Attempted forcible entry is included.
Coverage indicator: A statistic giving the relative size of the sample of arrests on which the estimates are based. The indicator incorporates the population served by reporting law enforcement agencies and the number of months they reported arrest or reported crime counts during the calendar year. Where the indicator equals 100%, all law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction reported for all 12 months. A more complete explanation of the coverage indicator can be found in the Methods Section.
Curfew and loitering laws (persons under age 18 only): Offenses relating to violations of local curfew and loitering ordinances where such laws exist.
Driving under the influence: Driving or operating any vehicle or common carrier while drunk or under the influence of liquor or narcotics.
Drug abuse violations: State and/or local offenses relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, and manufacturing of any controlled drug or narcotic substance. The following drug categories are specified: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics - manufactured narcotics that can cause true addiction (demerol, methadone); and dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine).
Drunkenness: Offenses relating to drunkenness or intoxication. Excluded is driving under the influence.
Embezzlement: Misappropriation or misapplication of money or property entrusted to one's care, custody, or control.
Forgery and counterfeiting: Making, altering, uttering, or possessing, with intent to deceive or defraud, anything false in the semblance of that which is true; or the selling, buying, or possession of an altered, copied, or imitated thing with the intent to deceive or defraud.. Attempts are included.
Fraud: Fraudulent conversion and obtaining money or property by false pretenses. Included are confidence games and bad checks, except forgeries and counterfeiting.
Gambling: Promoting, permitting, or engaging in illegal gambling.
Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft): The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles or automobile accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article, which is not taken by force and violence, or by fraud. Attempted larcenies are included. Embezzlement, "con" games, forgery, worthless checks, etc. are excluded.
Liquor laws: State and/or local liquor law violations prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase,transportation, possession, or use of alcoholic beverages, except drunkenness and driving under the influence. Federal violations are excluded.
Motor vehicle theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is self-propelled and runs on the surface and not on rails. Specifically excluded from this category are motorboats, construction equipment, airplanes, and farming equipment.
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter: The willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. Deaths caused by negligence, attempts to kill, suicides, accidental deaths, and justifiable homicides are excluded.
Offenses against the family and children: Unlawful nonviolent acts by a family member (or legal guardian) that threaten the physical, mental, or economic well-being or morals of another family member and that are not classifiable as other offenses, such as Assault or Sex Offenses. Attempts are included.
Other assaults (simple): Assaults and attempted assaults where no weapon is used and which do not result in serious or aggravated injury to the victim. Stalking, intimidation, coercion, and hazing are included.
Population: The FBI data present estimates of the total population served by each law enforcement agency and, consequently, the number of persons living in each county and in each State. Corresponding estimates of the number of persons ages 10 through 17 and the number of persons ages 18 and above were developed by the National Center for Juvenile Justice using county-level, age-specific population data produced by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Using the Census data, the percent of persons age 10 through 17 in the total county population was calculated and then multiplied by the FBI's population figures to produce estimates of the population ages 10 through 17 consistent with the FBI populations. A similar approach was used to produce estimates of the population 18 and older.
Property crime index: Includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Prostitution and commercialized vice: The unlawful promotion of or participation in sexual activities for profit, including attempts. To solicit customers or transport persons for prostitution purposes; to own, manage, or operate a dwelling or other establishment for the purpose of providing a place where prostitution is performed; or to otherwise assist or promote prostitution.
Rape: Definition prior to 2013: The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Included are rapes by force and attempts or assaults to rape. Statutory offenses (no force used - victim under age of consent) are excluded. Beginning in 2013, the FBI broadened the definition of rape, removing the phrase "forcible" from the offense name and description. The new definition of rape is: Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim. The new definition includes the NIBRS offenses of rape, sodomy, and sexual assault with an object. Law enforcement agencies may submit data on rape arrests based on either the new or legacy definition of rape. Due to differences in agency reporting practices, national estimates for the offenses of "rape" and "sex offenses" are not available after 2012. Additionally, estimates for the Violent Crime Index (which included "forcible rape") are not shown after 2012 as this category is no longer compatible with prior years.
Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Runaways (persons under age 18 only): Limited to juveniles taken into protective custody under provisions of local statutes.
Sex offenses (except forcible rape, prostitution, and commercialized vice): Statutory rape and offenses against chastity, common decency, morals, and the like. Attempts are included. Due to changes to the definition of rape, estimates for sex offenses are not shown after 2012 as this category is no longer compatible with prior years.
Stolen property: Buying, receiving, and possessing stolen property, including attempts.
Total crimes: The sum of all index and non-index crimes.
Vagrancy: Vagabondage, begging, loitering, etc.
Vandalism: Willful or malicious destruction, injury, disfigurement, or defacement of any public or private property, real or personal, without consent of the owner or persons having custody or control.
Violent crime index: Includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Due to changes to the definition of rape, estimates for the Violent Crime Index (which included "forcible rape") are not shown after 2012 as this category is no longer compatible with prior years.
Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.): All violations of regulations or statutes controlling the carrying, using, possessing, furnishing, concealing, and manufacturing of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons or silencers. Attempts are included.

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Data Dictionary