Property crimes jump, but violence lower

Key report gives first snapshot of 2008 crime in metro Atlanta and Georgia cities

By Matt Dempsey

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Violent crimes decreased in Atlanta in 2008 with lower numbers for murder, rape, robberies and aggravated assaults. Property crime though saw a jump for all categories except motor vehicle theft and arson, in the latest federal crime reports released today.

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Across Georgia, the new reports indicate an overall decrease in violent crimes over 2007, but the number of cities and counties included in the report is also down. It was not immediately clear why the number of agencies is lower.

The data comes from FBI’s Uniform Crime Report released Monday.

The AJC is analyzing the numbers now to see how metro Atlanta cities compared to each other in 2008, along with notable changes in crime rates from the previous year.

Look up the crime statistics for more than 300 counties and cities in Georgia with our searchable Uniform Crime Reports database.

Check back for an expanded report shortly and reaction and analysis later today. If you have questions about the stats, post them in the comments form below.