Increase in Violent Crime Rate and Risk to Law Enforcement

The committing of a violent crime is a complex phenomenon, as is understanding why ­ people commit them in the first place. Utilizing both victim surveys and official police data can be useful in painting the most realistic picture. To explain vio- lent crime and the risks involved, it’s necessary to first state what violent crime is. Vari­ous acts are considered violent crimes, but they generally fall within one of four categories. Murder, or hom­ i ­ cide, is the killing of another ­human being with con- ditions and consequences specifically covered ­under the law. Violent crime may also consist of rape and sexual assaults—­sexual interactions that are forced upon the vic- tim. A third type of violent crime is aggravated assault, in which one person attacks another person, with or without a weapon, and seriously injures the victim. Robbery is the forceful taking of someone’s property against his or her ­will.