When you think of states with the highest crime rates, you may think of New York, Florida and California. These three states have multiple big cities; urban areas have long been considered a common area for crime to take place. However, according to Fox17, Tennessee’s crime rate is on the rise and now outpaces the national average.
The news agency came to this conclusion after looking at data published by the FBI for crime rates in 2017. It analyzes reports from the 16,000 law enforcement agencies that supply it with statistical data every year. The FBI report notes that while the national crime rate is 394 per 100,000 persons, it is 638.5 per 100,000 persons in Tennessee. At the time of the report, this was the highest violent crime rate in the state since the economic recession. In 2009, the crime rate was 666 per 100,000 persons.
It is fairly well-known that people often become the victims of violent crime at the hands of people they know. This is especially the case for women and children. In the case of Tennessee, you would be far more likely to be victimized by a stranger. Homes were also identified as the least safe place in the state as 60% of reported crimes took place there.
Most of the victims reported in 2017 were White. Black or African Americans made up 45% of the victim pool. When it came to offenders, 37% were White, while 56% identified as Black or African American. The remaining 7% was unknown.
This article provides information on FBI statistics cited by Fox. It should not be misconstrued as or used in place of legal advice.