Crime in Decatur, Georgia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2018. In Decatur, however, property crimes account for about 93% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Decatur than it is nationwide. There were 576 property crimes in Decatur in 2018, or 2,352 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,200 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 Decatur. There were 476 larcenies reported in Decatur in 2018, or 1,944 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,595 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 61 break-ins reported in Decatur in 2018, or 249 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 327 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2018.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 229 for every 100,000 people. In Decatur, meanwhile, there were 39 motor vehicle thefts in 2018, or 159 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 more than 8.4 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2018. In Decatur, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 7% share of all reported crime.

At 167 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Decatur is well below the national violent crime rate of 381 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Decatur reported a total of 41 violent crimes in 2018.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. In Decatur, however, robbery is the most commonly reported type of violent crime. There were 17 aggravated assaults reported in Decatur in 2018, or 69 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far higher, standing at 247 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 19 robberies reported in Decatur in 2018, a rate of 78 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 86 per 100,000 in 2018.

Rape

There were 2 rapes reported in Decatur in 2018, or 8 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,380 rapes in 2018, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 3 homicides committed in the city in 2018. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Decatur is 12.2 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.