Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
by State by Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties, 2008
The FBI collects these data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
General comments
- The Metropolitan Counties classification encompasses jurisdictions covered by noncity law enforcement agencies located within currently designated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). The Nonmetropolitan Counties classification encompasses jurisdictions covered by noncity agencies located outside currently designated MSAs.
- This table provides the volume of violent crime (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) as reported by law enforcement agencies (such as individual sheriffs’ offices and/or county police departments) in metropolitan counties and nonmetropolitan counties (listed alphabetically by state) that contributed data to the UCR Program.
- These data do not represent county totals as they exclude crime counts for city agencies and other types of agencies that have jurisdiction within each county.
Caution against ranking
Readers should take into consideration relevant factors in addition to the areas’ crime statistics when making any valid comparisons of crime among different locales. Variables Affecting Crime provides more details concerning the proper use of UCR statistics.
Methodology
- The data used in creating this table were from all county law enforcement agencies submitting 12 months of complete offense data for 2008.
- The FBI does not publish arson data unless it receives data from either the agency or the state for all 12 months of the calendar year.
- When the FBI determines that an agency’s data collection methodology does not comply with national UCR guidelines, the figure for that agency’s offense(s) will not be included in the table, and the discrepancy will be explained in a footnote.
If you have questions about this table
Contact the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division via e-mail at cjis_comm@leo.gov or by telephone at (304) 625-4995.