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Michigan: This is the Most Common Crime in the State

Like any state, Michigan has some areas that you have to be careful around. So, what’s the most common Michigan crime? A new study lists the most commonly reported crimes…

Generic police lights and crime scene tape

Generic police lights and crime scene tape

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Like any state, Michigan has some areas that you have to be careful around. So, what's the most common Michigan crime?

A new study lists the most commonly reported crimes in Michigan. The study, conducted by criminal defense law firm Jorge Vela Law, looked at the latest statistics from the United States Bureau of Justice to find out which crimes had the highest number of reported incidents in Michigan in 2021.

Discussing the data, Jorge Vela, who did the research, said in a statement, "This data provides a fascinating insight into crime in the U.S. While incidents and charges may vary from state to state based on demographics and local laws, it is important to know which crimes are most prevalent in one’s area in order to know what security measures to take."

Michigan Crime

So, what's No 1 in Michigan? The most commonly reported crime in Michigan is simple assault. In Michigan, there were 82,958 reported incidents in 2021 alone. As for the No. 2 most commonly reported crime in Michigan, that's destruction, damage, and vandalism of property with 47,251 reported incidents. No. 3 is all other larceny, followed by aggravated assault (yikes!) and, to round out the top five, drugs & narcotics violations. The latter refers to crimes involving the use, possession, distribution, trafficking and manufacture/cultivation of controlled drugs. That's quite a list of common crimes. It makes sense to me that these would top the list. Find more information via the website for criminal defense law firm Jorge Vela Law.

The FBI recently released its annual report looking at the latest crime statistics reported by police agencies across America. Personally, I feel like Michigan is a safe state, but it's partly because I grew up in Michigan in a safe area, so I realize that there are areas you have to be careful.

As for the methodology of this report, the FBI states, "Overall, the analysis shows violent and property crime remained consistent between 2020 and 2021. While the aggregate estimated violent crime volume decreased 1% for the nation from 1,326,600 in 2020 to 1,313,200 in 2021, the estimated number of murders increased from 22,000 in 2020 to 22,900 in 2021. The increase of murders constitutes a 4.3% increase. The robbery rate decreased 8.9% from 2020 to 2021, which heavily contributed to the decrease in overall violent crime despite increases in murder and rape rates at the national level. It is important to note that these estimated trends are not considered statistically significant by NIBRS estimation methods. The nonsignificant nature of the observed trends is why, despite these described changes, the overall message is that crime remained consistent."

“Overall, the analysis shows violent and property crime remained consistent between 2020 and 2021,” the FBI said of national crime trends. The agency noted that violent crime increased by 1% nationally, including a 4.3% increase in homicides. The number of crimes in Michigan increased at a more rapid pace than the national average. The total number of violent crimes in Michigan increased 4.7%, while the number of property crimes increased 5.8%. Statewide, homicides decreased 6.3%, from 660 in 2020 to 618 in 2021.

Michigan has four of the top 20 most violent cities in the U.S. How crazy is that? That said, Michigan also have four communities with the fewest properly crimes. The Mitten also has a new No. 1 most violent city. Read on for the full list, and find more details here. The four communities with the fewest property crimes in Michigan include Independence Township, White Lake Township, West Bloomfield and Orion Township.

56. Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is often considered one of Michigan's nicest big cities, but it also has some dangerous spots. It's actually Michigan's second largest city, behind Detroit, but it is much smaller than the Motor City. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 1,929.

50. Battle Creek

Battle Creek often appears on these lists of the most violent cities in Michigan. The city is located in a beautiful area of Michigan on the west side of the state, not far from Kalamazoo, but has a few sketchy spots. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 614.

48. Flint

People often think that Flint is the most dangerous city in Michigan, but it's far from it, according to this new report. It's No. 48 in America. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 982.

44. Flint Township

Flint and Flint Township are obviously close together, and both fall next to each other on the list of the most dangerous cities in Michigan and America. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 320. If you add that to Flint, you can see why the area is considered somewhere to be careful.

42. Jackson

Jackson has a massive state prison, and the city is often known for them when it's brought up in conversations across Michigan. I personally really like Jackson and some of its rural areas. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 353.

32. Pontiac

North of Detroit, Pontiac is considered an area to be careful in. It's No. 32 in America for violent crime. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 712.

17. Lansing

I grew up in Lansing and and am surprised to to see it so high on this list. Then again, crime has been on the rise in the city. Lansing is considered the No. 17 most dangerous city in America and third most dangerous in Michigan. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 1,757.

10. Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo, like Battle Creek, has always been known for having some rough areas. It's a beautiful city, but you do have to be careful on the outskirts. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 1,211.

5. Detroit

People often think of Detroit as the most dangerous city in Michigan and one of the most violent in America, but it's not No. 1 in Michigan. Detroit is the No. 5 most dangerous city in America, though, which isn't a great look. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 14,509.

4. Saginaw

It's crazy to think, but Saginaw, Michigan, has been named the No. 4 most dangerous city in the entire country. It's also the most dangerous city in Michigan. The city's "All Violent Crime" number is 1,080.

Source

This list is via the FBI.

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.