Indicator: 71 - Crime
Why This Is Important
Crime is an important indicator because it adds to the cost of
conducting business and to the tax burden for prosecution and incarceration
of criminals. In addition, lower crime rates mean Maine offers individuals
and businesses a safe environment in which to live, raise children
and do business.
Where We Stand
In 2000, there were 26.2 incidents of crime in Maine per 1,000
people, a 9.1% drop from the 1999 rate. The national rate in 2000
was 41.2 incidents per 1,000 people, a 3.5% decrease in the number
of incidents from 1999. Preliminary figures indicate that the total
number of crimes reported by local, county and state law enforcement
agencies in Maine rose in 2001 by 3.4% from 2000.
Crime rates in both Maine and the United States dropped during
much of the 1990's, with Maine's rate consistently below the nation's.
Experts point out that young males are declining as a percent of
our overall population, and this changing demographic contributes
to the lowering of the crime rate. In Maine, an aging population
also, contribute to the state's declining crime rate.
Data Sources and Context
The data source for this indicator from 1996 to 2000 is a Maine
Development Foundation analysis of data from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation's, Crime in the United States, 2001. The
data is available in the Maine Economic Growth Council's Measures
of Growth 2002 (on the web at http://www.mdf.org).
Preliminary crime data for 2001 is available through the Maine Department
of Public Safety website at http://www.state.me.us/dps/cim/crime_in_maine/2001pdf/CRIME2001.pdf.
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