Crime in Council Bluffs, Iowa

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Council Bluffs, however, property crimes account for about 88% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Council Bluffs than it is nationwide. There were 3,649 property crimes in Council Bluffs in 2019, or 5,845 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Council Bluffs. There were 2,629 larcenies reported in Council Bluffs in 2019, or 4,211 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 529 break-ins reported in Council Bluffs in 2019, or 847 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Council Bluffs, meanwhile, there were 491 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 787 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Council Bluffs, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 12% share of all reported crime.

At 790 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Council Bluffs is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Council Bluffs reported a total of 493 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Council Bluffs. There were 391 aggravated assaults reported in Council Bluffs in 2019, or 626 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 57 robberies reported in Council Bluffs in 2019, a rate of 91 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 39 rapes reported in Council Bluffs in 2019, or 63 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 6 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Council Bluffs is 9.6 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.