Despite the frequent shootings here in New Haven, the United States experienced less violent crime in 2011 than it did in 2010, marking the fourth year in a row that fewer individuals faced criminal charges than the year before.

NEW HAVEN, CT, February 15, 2012 – Despite the frequent shootings in New Haven, the United States experienced less violent crime in 2011 than it did in 2010, marking the fourth year in a row that fewer individuals faced criminal charges than the year before.

According to information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), violent crime decreased nationwide by over 6 percent in first half of the year.

Data was collected from over 12,500 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. The statistics showed that the number of reported murders fell by by 5.7 percent, the number of rapes decreased by 5.1 percent, and total robberies declined by 7.7 percent.

Many analysts anticipated an increase in crime, believing that the tough economy and lack of available jobs would force people to do anything, legal or criminal, to stay afloat. The data does not support this claim.

Some experts cite increased police activity as a possible cause for the decrease in violent crime. With more officers on the streets, offenders may be thinking twice before committing an act of violence.

Criminal defense attorneys and other law officials maintain that the use of new technologies like street cameras has had a preventative effect on violent crime.

The drop in violence may also be partly explained by the aging population of the United States. Violent crimes are most often committed by young people. With the average age of Americans on the rise, fewer young people exist to commit the crimes.

Although increased police activity and the use of street cameras may appear beneficial, some critics are concerned about the privacy of U.S. Citizens and the dangerous possibilities of employing more police officers in high-crime areas. Sometimes police presence can heighten tensions in these neighborhoods.

Others have stated that law enforcement agencies are “cooking the books” for city officials, using the data in non-representative ways to create a false appearance of less crime.

Regardless of these opinions, the crime rate still seems to be falling. However, there is some bad news.

In a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, it was stated that more police officers were fatally wounded on duty last year than in 2010. In the last half of 2011, the number of police officers killed in the United States increased by 14 percent.

Although violent crime should be a large concern, most of us are more worried about the struggling economy and unemployment rates. Ultimately, the apparent decline in violent crime across the country is good news for every American.

41.310250 -72.917942