Annual Uniform Crime Report Reveals State Crime Statistics

Violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault increased to 0.9 percent in 2016, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) 2016 Uniform Crime Report. Murders were down by 23 percent compared to 2015.

Each year local law enforcement agencies must report their crime data to the BCA to meet state and federal reporting requirements. The data is compiled into an annual report and provides required data to the FBI for its reporting purposes.

Here are key findings from the report:

Rapes and aggravated assaults were also up slightly in 2016, but robberies saw a slight decrease in 2016.

Reports of human trafficking – commercial sex acts jumped significantly in 2016. This reflects cases reported in which a real victim does not exist but rather the arrest is the result of proactive sting operations by law enforcement posing as a person under the age of 18.

Property crimes saw declining numbers in 2016, down by 3.7 percent compared to 2015.

There were no law enforcement fatalities in 2016.

The complete 2016 report can be viewed on the BCA Website at https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/bca-divisions/mnjis/Documents/2016-Minnesota-Uniform-Crime-Report.pdf