Crime in Meridian, Mississippi

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Meridian, however, property crimes account for about 89% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Meridian than it is nationwide. There were 1,475 property crimes in Meridian in 2019, or 4,000 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 Meridian. There were 904 larcenies reported in Meridian in 2019, or 2,451 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 441 break-ins reported in Meridian in 2019, or 1,196 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 Meridian, meanwhile, there were 130 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 353 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 Meridian, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 11% share of all reported crime.

At 491 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Meridian is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Meridian reported a total of 181 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 Meridian. There were 79 aggravated assaults reported in Meridian in 2019, or 214 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 72 robberies reported in Meridian in 2019, a rate of 195 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 16 rapes reported in Meridian in 2019, or 43 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 14 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Meridian is 38.0 murders for every 100,000 people, many times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.